Spirit Hunter
by Phorcys
Summary: When Supernatural beings turn up dead in Tokyo Ranma is involved before he knows it. Now Ranma must find out who is killing the magical beings of Tokyo before it's to late for them, and him. All chapters have been revised.
1. First Appearances

**Spirit Hunters**

_Chapter One_

First Posted 25th January 2005

Revised 9th July 2006

Revised 9th September 2006 by Hiryo

Pre-read by Hiryo.

**Authors Note:**

This is set at a random time anywhere in the series after the main characters have arrived.

**Disclaimer:**

Ranma 1/2 and all associated characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Enjoy!

The house had been abandoned for a long time. The streetlights in front highlighted the windows that had been boarded over. A short crumbling concrete fence, which bordered it, hadn't stopped the vandals that had spray-painted gang logos and pointless symbols over its windows and walls. A thick overgrown garden surrounded the house, never mind a lawnmower a flame-thrower would be more useful clearing it.

The house was the typical kind that kids make up stories about, 'there's a witch in there,' or 'a werewolf lives in the basement.' But in fact, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the old house since it had been boarded up. No mighty magic cute teen force was going to be able to find any ghosts in this building.

It had just been caught in the middle of legal wrangling when a will was brought in front of the courts and it had been forgotten; who exactly owned it had passed out of the memories of those families living on the street.

It was past midnight, the sky's clear, the street lights lit up the pavement and if anything moved, it would have been clearly seen. This is not the setting for a scary story it lacks the dark depressing background serious readers demand.

A man walks down the street; he is quickly striding along with his arms filled with bulging plastic bags. The man wears a baggy black windbreaker and a scarf that covers most of his face. He is overdressed for the warm summer weather. A gentle summer breeze causes his hair to move, he looks perfectly normal.

Walking down the brightly lit street the man comes to a halt in front of the abandoned building, with a quick look around he jumps the fence into the yard. The plastic bags drag on the over grown plants leaving a dark trail behind them and he's forced to push his way through the hip high weeds. When he reaches the backdoor and finds it propped open, he quickly enters.

Now there was something wrong with the house.

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Ranma had been punted once again into LEO and through repeated trips, it wasn't really hurting like it use to. The walk back could be a drag. At least this way he could get a really good tour of Tokyo. Maybe he could suggest that to Akane, ''LEO tours' see Tokyo from the air and get acquainted with its many pavements.' A side benefit of the LEO meant that it would take at least another hour before anyone caught up with him.

Ranma had heard somewhere that Tokyo air control had cleared the air space over Nerima after too many pilots had come back with stories of flying people and the last straw was apparently a giant flying yeti thing, which the last pilot swore had tentacles.

Walking back to Nerima slowly Ranma was passing through a residential area, he could hear some one running up behind him, they didn't sound very fit and the heavy wheezing was loud. Stepping quickly to the far side of the footpath, the jogger managed somehow to trip over his own feet trying to dodge Ranma who had already moved and ended up with a perfect swan dive into the concrete.

Ranma winced at all the memories it brought back. "Oh are you all right?" Ranma reached down with a helping hand to lift the clumsy runner.

"Yeah, yeah," the boy who didn't look any older than he did shrugged off Ranma's hand. "It was my mistake I tend to kiss the cement a lot."

Standing in front of Ranma was a stocky boy, he wore jeans and an old black t-shirt with 'Hard Work never killed anyone but why chance It.' written on the front. His short black hair looked life it hadn't been washed in a few days and it was sticking up in tuffs.

Ranma, well we all know what he looks like, just stared at the boy. "Hi, my name's Ranma, and well, can I ask why you were running like the hounds of Heck were after you?"

Dragging a hand through his hair the boy sighed, "Okay, um my name's Ger and I really have to be going now."

In the distance, Ranma could now hear the shouts of what sounded like several disgruntled people to say the least, he could just hear on the wind, ". . . we're going to skin the freak . . . ." ". . . little b000 . . . ." It was getting closer and closer.

"Here I can give you a hand to lose those guys if you want?" Ranma asked Ger.

Ger had already shown his total lack of dexterity and figuring that anything was better than the idiots that following him, nodded his head. "That would be great. I don't really want those morons to catch up with me."

Ranma put an arm around Ger's middle and took a flying jump onto the roof of the house they had been standing before.

Ger just stood on the roof with a mild case of shock "You . . . you... what the . . . ."

Ranma held a finger to his lips and Ger stopped talking.

From around the streets corner five older teens appeared running down they paved street never looking up because none could imagine their prey would be able to climb a ladder let alone jump 4 meters on to the roof of a house.

Once the teens have run to the end of the block Ranma turned to Ger and asked him. "Do you have anywhere in particular you want to go. I have a bit of free time on my hands and I'm wondering why those guys were chasing you."

Ger grinned; he had escaped the idiots chasing him and was happy for the moment. "Sure, it's the least I could do. If we go to my place I can make sure, they haven't trashed anything. I'll tell you there." Ger was balanced on the crest of the roof but at that moment, a sudden gust of wind caught the boy off balance and Ranma could only watch him tumble down the roof and off the edge. "AHHHRRGGHH!" . . .Thump . . . .

Ranma sweat dropped. "Woops."

After checking Ger and making sure no important bones were broken, the boys walked back to Ger's apartment. While they walked, they both talked about the normal things people talk about in Tokyo.

"I heard there have been some more monster attacks in Juuban."

"Yeah, I don't understand why anyone would move into that area."

"Sure, you just go out and the next thing you know you're monster food."

"Must be a pain in the arse."

"It's like those American horror movies as soon as you do anything they attack."

"I heard that Nerima district is just as bad, with heaps of weird Martial Artists." Ger was forced to stop walking while Ranma picked himself up from his facefault. "Umm yeah it must be really weird to have nutty Martial Artists everywhere."

Ranma scratched the back of his head. "Well that's funny 'cause I am of those weird Martial Artists from Nerima."

Ger just stares as Ranma "That explains the amazing ability to jump onto that roof. You know you maybe able to help me with something."

And as always Ranma acts before he thinks . . . Okay."

Shortly after this Ger stoped outside a small three-story coffee shop. He pulled out a set of keys. "Here we are, my family owns a small chain of these shops, and my parents gave this one to me to run. It's supposed to teach me responsibility. I was out getting some groceries when the jerks caught me."

Inside it was only a small one room. The posters covered the walls for various movies and music events. Six little tables ran upsides of the shop to the counter; a large coffee machine sat in pride of place and next to it was a glass case filled with cakes, biscuits, and slices.

Ranma's attention focused completely on the large chocolate black forest gateau that sat in the middle of the case. It was very large and the chocolate icing gleamed under the shops lights; you could smell the cherry liquor that it had been drenched in. A strange growling noise started to echo in the small store. "Ger, umm do ya think I might have a bit of that cake, you know . . . just a little bit."

Ger stared in worry at Ranma's stomach, which was drowning out the sound of the nearby traffic. "Ranma, why don't I make us a coffee and get us something to eat, and then I can talk about those morons who were chasing me. We can celebrate the fact those jerks didn't smash any windows."

Ranma nodded his head quickly and wiped the drool that had formed off his chin.

Once they were sitting down at one of the tables Ranma attacked the piece of cake he had been given.

"Okay well, I really should start at the beginning. For a while, now some one or thing has been attacking people in this district it hasn't been seen by anyone but everyone around here is jumping at shadows. It takes the smallest prompting and idiots like the ones who chased me are all set off on a wild goose chase."

"Ummgh. This is really good cake did you make it?"

Ger stopped explaining as Ranma talked with his mouth full. "Ahh, no my Mum makes the cakes she delivers them to all the stores, but I did make some of the other things it's a family tradition I couldn't get out of learning how." Ger shook his head. 'Anyway, this thing has been attacking people and last night they found a dead hitchhiker. They say that it was like some animal had chewed on it. The reason those twits were running after me was because my family has this history of being weird and it doesn't take much for those morons to put two and two together and get twelve." Ger had made himself a pot of green tea and finished it while he watched Ranma finish eating.

"So, how can I help you? 'Cause it's the duty of a Martial Artist to help those that can't help themselves."

Ger smiled. "Well, you see if you could find out whatever has been attacking people I would be really grateful and I'm sure I can talk my Mum into making up one of those cakes you seem to like."

Ranma didn't take any time to think as his stomach reached up his throat and used his vocal cords. "Sure it's my duty as a Martial Artist. Do you know anything else about what is happening?"

Ger walked to the back of the store taking some of the dirty dishes with him, "I have some stuff I found out of the net back here." Ger came back with a manila folder and a glass of water for himself. The green tea had been good but after the run, he really needs a drink of cold water.

Of course, fate watched this and decided to stick his foot in, directly into the path of Ger's feet. As it has been shown, Ger doesn't have the best hand eye coordination and the glass of water took a short flight through the air forming a graceful arc, which ends up in Ranma's lap.

The now female Ranma sighs and stutters, "I.. .I ..can explain, could you just get me a glass of cold water and one of hot?"

Ger put the folder on one of the tables and returned with the requested water.

"There is this cursed training ground in China, and you know I'm a Martial Artist . . . well my Pop took me on a training trip for a while and went there. This place works like this. If you fall into on of the springs, you turn into whatever first drowned in it. In my case a girl." Ranma picks up the hot water, "cold water turns me into a girl hot water turns me back."

Ger has sat back down at the table and stares at Ranma. "Cool, umm I may not have been that truthful myself." Getting up from the table Ger makes sure that the front window of the shop are covered by the shades and no one can see in. "When I said that my family is known for being weird. You see there is a reason that every one thinks we are strange . . . we're all Rokurokubi."

Ranma just sits there slightly damp. "A what?"

Ger sighs. "You know a hundred years ago you didn't have to explain what I am. People just knew what a Rokurokubi was. Okay, Rokurokubi, well we obviously look just like humans but we're not. We don't do anything evil maybe pull a few tricks or something; we love frightening people."

Ranma looked puzzled. "If you look human, how do you scare people?"

"Okay, like this." Ger's neck stretches until it is two meters long and his face changed, his eye's bulged out growing big and round, his tongued stuck out reaching a foot and his skin turned red. "Boo!"

Ranma jumped back and fell off his chair. "Okay, so you're not human, some how my curse doesn't look that weird next to this."

Ger changed back to his normal appearance and draged his hand back through his hair. "We don't want to hurt anyone, it's just so tempting to scare people, but it's hard in the cities. We resort to frightening drunks and blind people it's not the same as the old days. Since these attacks started, I keep getting the feeling that something unnatural is connected to it. All the people who have been attacked have had some connection to the other world."

Ranma, while Ger has poured his story out, had started licking his plate "I've meet some really weird stuff, ghost, temple spirits, and other strange things a little bit more weirdness doesn't hurt. As long as I still get the chocolate cake if I help you, I'm ready."

Ger's happy, it's been a long time since a human knew about his family's secret and Ranma hadn't reacted as he thought he would. If he has a good idea of the supernatural, he will have a better handle on what ever is attacking people. Ger pried the clean plate out of Ranma's grasp and carried it through to his kitchen.

Ranma followed him grabbing the folder as he passed it. A picture of Genma and Soun appears in Ranma's mind. "I know of a couple of drunks that are just asking to be scared."

"Hey, I'm all up for scaring them. I haven't done a proper scare in months because of these attacks."

Ranma followed Ger up to the apartment. Ranma found a small sitting room with a table, comfy chair sitting in front of a T.V, sound system, and game center. "Oh right, you have some cool games here."

Some of the posters that are on the walls downstairs are spread over the walls up here and a window open out to the street below. Two doorways lead off on the left and right.

Ger gestured at Ranma to chuck the folder on the table and they both sat down. Pulling open the folder there are a series of photos they are the cheap digital kind and the detail is fuzzy, underneath them are a small pile of what looks like official documents with the words police and crime report written at the top. There wasn't much in the folder. Ger spread it over the table. "I really couldn't find much I was just thinking if I knew more I might be able to, some how help. Nothing but my gut says that there is some thing supernatural about them but I just know some thing isn't right."

The photos showed what at first looked like a collapsed mannequin covered in tomato sauce, as Ranma looked closer he could make out the details and it turned into a very 'dead' corpse. Closing his eyes Ranma shifted the victim's photos away. "How the hell did you get a hold of those?"

Pushing the photos underneath the folder Ger sighs. "You know how there are some strange people out there, well the photos were on one of those web sites that has cadaver shots and death certificates. When I did a search about the attacks these came up. Someone had taken some photos of the attack before the cops turned up." Ger pointed to something Ranma didn't notice yet. "I think that it shows that the victim didn't have any time to react before he was attacked it took him by surprise."

Ranma takes another look at the photos he can't see anything. "You know I think it's going to have to be two cakes at this rate."

Ger points at a tiny bit of white next to the body. "I had a quick look at this under a microscope and it's a cigarette but it has been put out by the blood it seems they guy was just taking a break and was attacked right there."

Ranma pulls the police reports Ger had some how got his hands on and scans them. A lot of words he doesn't understand are scattered throughout the paperwork. "What do these mean?"

Ger drags his hand back through his hair and sighs. "Well basically they describe some of the attacks that have been happening locally. Most talk of being hit by something and being knocked out they wake up soon after someone comes along and stops who ever attacked them. When they wake up there are usually cuts and bruising but nothing serious until this attack."

Ranma looks at the official papers. "I think I know someone who can help us find some information about what has been happening, she will want to be paid but if you bring some of that cake I think she will cut down the price."

Ger is reluctant to spread his problem around. "Look Ger, you need more than my help I have no idea about supernatural creatures as you know and this girl Nabiki will be able to get all the info that you need."

Ranma puts the photos and papers back into the folder. "Look if I take these she can get started looking for something and we can meet up with her tomorrow. Maybe I should take some of that cake with me to show how good it is? Maybe three pieces in case she needs convincing."

Ger grinned, and got up from his table. "If you think she can keep a secret I'm sure I can spare some cash if it keeps me from having my head beaten in by those idiots." Walking back down to the shop Ger pulled out takeaway box and put a couple slices of cake and some biscuits into it. "Here I'm pretty sure you'd like another piece of cake and if you can help me with this I'll be really grateful."

Ranma gratefully takes the small box and sets up a meeting with Ger the next day after work with Nabiki.

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From outside the shop a man who has been keeping an eye on Ger's shop watched Ranma leave, he didn't move, merely watching.

**Authors Note:**

Revised Note 09/07/06

I was looking back through my old stories and found this one. I had trouble reading my own words, so I have gone back and corrected some problems but have kept others because this is an old favorite of mine.

Hopefully, I will be able to finish this story before I get distracted . . . Again.

Original Authors Note

This story includes creatures from Japanese folklore they are all real creatures and information about them can be found at several web sites and books. What information I provide about them I hope is right if I get some things wrong please tell me and I will fix it. This is set at a random time anywhere in the series after the main characters have arrived.

I find the folklore of everywhere interesting and I just wanted to see what would happen when Ranma comes across some of the creatures from his own country, because they are great fun. I got my information about the Japanese folklore from in an article on the web by Sarah Davis.

If any one is willing to give up their valuable time to proofread, I would be really grateful.

Any response will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading this.

If you like this, read my other story 'Wild Wolf'.


	2. Disorganised Organisation

**Spirit Hunter**

_Chapter Two_

Disorganized Organization.

Revised 10th July 2006

Revised 9th September 2006 by Hiryo

Pre-read by Hiryo.

**Author Note:**

This is a fast update because

A. I have too much time on my hands and

B. If I don't write something, I'll lose the idea.

Do not expect any other updates to come out this quickly, I am really a very lazy person and hate typing. There is a more complete rant . . . I mean note at the end of the story including a surprise for all those readers who get to the bottom of the page.

**Disclaimer:**

Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi any other strange reference to books, movies, magazines, comics, songs, or folk dance doesn't belong to me so please I am small and insignificant being don't sue me.

Enjoy!

Mia wasn't an idiot she knew it was stupid to go out by herself at night in Tokyo.

It wasn't the gangs and criminals one had to worry about. The big problem for any one was the monsters and uberpowerful Martial Artists. Friendly fire wasn't an accurate description for what could happen if one were caught in the middle of one of their battles. A more accurate idea was 'overly possessive stalker, nuclear meltdown'. If it wasn't the fights then it was a creature raised by the 'unholy powers of darkness'tm wanting to feed off your soul.

'I wonder what my soul tastes like,' Mia thought to herself, 'probably like chicken then again maybe not. If I hadn't run out of paper for my printer and if I hadn't procrastinated about my assignment, due tomorrow,' looking at her watch she rethought that, 'due today, then I wouldn't have left the house for anything less than a Godzilla attack.'

Luckily, most of the paths to the all-night store were well lit and people were walking prominently in-groups. There hadn't been a monster attack in this district for a few weeks and everyone was feeling more or less safe. The restaurants were open and the nightclubs had reopened after repairs from the last fight. The streets were filled with bright light and laughter as the crowds spilled out onto the streets.

Mia had pushed her way through them to get to the store she knew sold paper. 'I swear to myself that I will never leave an assignment to the last second again,' easily forgetting that she said this every time she left an assignment to the last second.

After buying the printer paper, Mia grabbed a frozen coffee from an all night place, open to catch the drinkers at the end of the night and other forced insomniacs like herself. It was cold and sweet and the cream on top was perfect. It was just the thing to get her back on track with the assignment.

Sipping from the plastic cup, Mia walked back to her house and tried to think of the next part of her essay; she had the points written down it was just being a pain to find the information to back them up. Contemplating letter bombing the course lecturer for setting the question Mia hadn't noticed that part of the walk home was darker than it had been before.

The restaurant that was along this street had closed up while she had been gone and the street was empty. The streetlights hadn't been fixed yet from the last uber Martial Artist fight and Mia couldn't see everything on the street.

This was not good, dropping the coffee cup into a public bin, Mia speed up her walk and hurried down the footpath.

From an open alley, Mia could suddenly hear a child crying. As has been stated earlier Mia is not stupid, the first thing she did was walk faster.

The crying child changed into a kitten mewling.

As she dashed by the alley as fast as she could an arm reached out, grasping her shoulder.

Mia spun around; the hand she had had in her pack came up with a can of Chemical Mace and she brought her knee up in a clean swing.

The very large neon green horned monster, which had tried to grab her, was caught in his monster jewels and started to roll around on the ground, alternating between rubbing his eyes and clutching his groin.

Mia put her boot into its huge green gut and sprinted down the street. Her bag banging against her side. Next time no matter what, she'd hand the assignment in late.

The Oni are traditional Japanese creatures, similar to European trolls or ogre, they are brightly colored big, have horns, and have been hard hit by urbanization. While it can be easy to hide if you look almost human, it is hard to adapt when you're three meters tall, bright green, and have horns a stag would be proud of. While some traditional creatures had adapted, Oni were traditionalists and drew the line at working for Disneyland. You still have to eat and some how the ability to make a persons blood boil is not what an employer looks at on your Resume.

Ben, that's the Oni's name, what? It's a traditional Oni name like Bruce. Ben was new to Tokyo, and had yet to meet the many dangers facing a monster in the big city.

Magical girls were the least of his problems when he had to deal with human street gangs who could be much nastier.

Ben slowly got up from his agonized crouch, even though he was a three-meter tall monster that didn't mean he liked being kicked in the family jewels. His eyes were still bleary and watering. Girls had changed from the good old days, he thought to himself as he made his way back into the alley, they didn't use fight back, or use weapons.

If you took a good look at Ben, okay the first things you would see would be his horns and that he was bright green. However, the second thing was that set against this he was wearing a relatively new red t-shirt with a coke logo, which now had a dirty tear along one side.

He groaned it is very difficult to find clothes to fit his frame, and tail. Wondered, 'can I repair the tear with my sewing kit?'

The Oni did not hear a sharp sliding noise from within the darkness of the alley.

Ben stared at the tear in his shirt and it took him a moment to notice the sharp point that was now digging into the middle of his back. Spinning around, he only realized his mistake when it was too late.

A second sword had been placed at exactly the right angle to catch him in his turn, and he had managed to cut his own throat. The only thing Ben could now see was a bleary dark figure stepping up to his now kneeling body, the little light of the alleyway caught the bright edge of a blade as it is brought back then before Ben could react forward and around. The last thing the Oni saw was his headless body being dismembered.

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Ranma in his girl form and Nabiki were walking along a busy footpath underneath a bright sky, to the meeting with Ger. They had had to catch a train to reach Ger's district. Nabiki drew the line at being carried half way across Tokyo in Ranma's arms.

After a quick talk with Ranma, the night before Nabiki had agreed on helping the guy for a reasonable price. The two teens were discussing what Nabiki had discovered in her quick search the night before.

"So you're telling me that there have been strange attacks going on for the past six months. You'd think one of the magical vigilante groups would have handled it by now."

Nabiki has got Ranma to carry her portable laptop, which he was balancing on his head. Making damn sure he didn't drop it.

Nabiki's precise words were. "You break it; I take it out of your hide with a razor blade and vinegar."

She reached over her shoulder and to grab a piece of paper that had been sticking out the top. "I've a theory that those magical type fighters usually have an agenda of their own and tend to stick to the big flashy monster attacks. They tend to leave the boring tedious jobs to other people." Nabiki passed the paper she had grabbed to Ranma. "Now I've plotted on a map where all the reported attacks have happened. Considering the period and the large area, I'm surprised more hasn't been done to stop them. It looks like everyone is handing the job off to some one else."

The red dots were many but they seemed to stay in a 10-km radius of Ger's district.

Folding the paper up Ranma brought Nabiki to a halt and pulled the lap top off his head. "We're here."

The empty coffee shop that Ger had shown Ranma yesterday was reasonably busy, a steady stream of customers were going through its open door. Most of the tables inside were full, and a radio playing some techno-punk could be heard outside the shop. Written on the glass front window were the words "Cenare Deorum"

Passing through the door Ranma raised a hand to catch the Rokurokubi's attention; he got a quick nod from a busy Ger, and a gesture to sit at one of the free tables. The attention of a portion of the male customers followed the entry of the two girls and then dropped off as Ranma glared at those staring.

Once they were both seated, it only took a few minutes for most of the customer's to leave with their orders. Nabiki was looking at a poster for a local band when Ger arrived at their table with a couple of slices of mud cake.

"Hi, I'm Ger I don't know what Ranma's told you about me but if you can help stop what ever is attacking people I would be really grateful."

The slices of mud cake Ger placed in front of the two were extremely thick and dark, it looked like it was practically fudge, the icing was a creamy white, chocolate-sliced almond were scattered lightly over the top. "I don't know if you liked the gateau that I sent with Ranma last night but I don't have any left so I though you might want to try this."

Nabiki who has been staring at the mud cake since Ger walked over looked up when he mentions a gateau. She takes a hard stare at Ranma. "What gateau?"

Ger looked at Ranma who innocently looked up in the air staring at nothing. "I sent a piece of this Black Forest gateau and some biscuits with Ranma to see if you wouldn't mind payment in cake."

Nabiki just shook her head; Ranma's stomach had struck again and had denied her a piece of rich chocolate cake. "No, I never saw any cake."

Ranma has started to sweat until Ger pokes his shoulder. "It was an accident I was attacked by Ryoga and he made me drop the box, they were kind of squished and I know how much Nabiki likes every thing perfect so I though I would save you the trouble of throwing them out if I ate it. I was helping really."

Nabiki developed a sweat drop but still managed amazingly to stop Ranma from taking her piece of mud cake.

There is nothing faster than a girl around a chocolate cake, no matter what training you have done.

Ger got the two teens a mocha and flat white while they ate their cakes. When the last of the crowd had left, Ger flipped the sign over and shut the door. He hadn't expected a late rush when he had set up the meeting with Ranma. While he finished bussing tables and making a quick clean Ranma got a glass of hot water and helped to speed up the cleaning process.

Once everything was clean and cleared, Ger led them up to his flat.

Nabiki had been very quiet since she had eaten the mud cake.

Ger's main room now had several city newspapers laid out on it. An article had been highlighted on the inside front page. The sound system underneath the television was turned on to a local rock station and a popular new song could be heard.

Ger picked up the file he had given Ranma that Nabiki placed on the table.

Nabiki then placed her laptop on the table and turned it on.

Ranma just imagined what he would do if he had a Gateau and mud cake to himself.

Nabiki coughed when Ranma started to drool.

"Ranma hasn't told me much outside that file, of what has been going on he just said you would fill me in. He mentioned the attacks and for some reason asked if I could look up monsters from our local legends. I hope you can explain this."

Ger grinned worriedly at Ranma who had emerged from his chocolate induced trance and shook his head, he hadn't told Nabiki about the Rokurokubi. Scratching his head, Ger dragged his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"Okay, my family is known for being weird around here and part of it's true you see there has always been a bit of ummm ESP in my family tree and I really think there is something freaky going on with the attacks."

Nabiki kept a straight face you don't laugh at some one who is paying you, especially when they are supply cake like the one she just ate. "If you say so, I have pointed out to Ranma that the attacks have reportedly been going on for six months and are all located with ten km of your district."

Ger pointed out what he had spotted in the photos with the suddenness of the attack. Nabiki sighed at the photos.

"Not the best work I ever did, but photos of murder vics makes a nice bit of change on the Internet."

Ranma and Ger sweat drop.

"Why are you taking photos of dead bodies?" Ranma asked for the both of them.

"Well I suppose because it gets me out of the house and makes me money, and after you've seen Kuno naked nothing is scary."

"What!"

"Well after one of your fights the idiot had managed to incinerate his outfit and since I helped him to the nurses' office my delicate sensibilities were subjected to a sight, I don't think I will recover from." Nabiki sniffs and pretends to wipe a tear from her eye. Ger is confused and just shots a questioning glance at Ranma, in return he gets the 'don't ask' face.

"Do you have any idea what is hurting and killing these people?" Ranma asks Ger.

"There are several cultural creatures, which are quite happy killing humans. Some have really specific methods of death but others are just general. They all have magic and so it's hard to tell who exactly could be hurting people."

Nabiki smiles, and pulls out a wad of paper from her back pack. "I did a five-minute search on Google and come up with a few monsters. But you are right a lot of them are picky eaters or don't leave any particularly unusual mark that distinguishes that they are the killer. I think we need to know more about what has been happening before we can even guess at what as been attacking anyone." Nabiki has put her two cents in and watches as both the boys agree.

"We have pieces of the puzzle but we can't even start making it up until we get a corner piece."

Nabiki looks at Ranma. "Since when did you ever do puzzles?"

Ranma scratches the back of his head. "Oh remember that time I had a multiple fracture of my femur, Kasumi got out some of your old puzzles while I healed."

Nabiki pulled up a web site she had saved on to her laptop and pointed to the information about the spirits. "The guy that seems to pop up most often in my search was a Kappa, these guys are kind of hard to miss with webbed toes and hands, but the big clue is that they have a turtle shell and a hollow head with water resting in it. They are water based and tend to stick to their local river or well. These guys can be tricksters but are known for, pulling horse and humans into the water and eating their blood and entrails. The thing which completely knocks them out of the running for being our killer and this is true he feeds via the anus."

Ranma blinks and his eyes water as he thinks of all the times on his training trips he had been forced to take a bath in a spring or stream, now he knows these things exist he's glad he didn't run into any as a kid.

Pointing further down the screen Nabiki brings up another. "The Yuki Onna is a female spirit who can be found in the mountains, she is a nasty one. She turns up in front of travelers with a baby, she'll start crying and weeping asking the walker to hold the kid . . . a real guilt trip. As soon as that happens, he's an ice cube. Again I think her method of death puts her out of the running"

"Here's a likely choice for a random attacker the Oni. These guys are incarnations of anger. They look like the Hulk on steroids with the same sort of color code as well usually being bright colors. Another distinguishing mark is large horns. Though it does say here that they can have animal attributes or extra eyes and fingers, they don't have a specific method of killing."

"Okay, here's another one it looks like it's just a trickster spirits the Rokurokubi. A long neck goblin. They are almost always women." A snort is heard and Nabiki looked up from the computer screen to see Ranma silently laughing and a red faced Ger. "Whatever, they have long stretchable necks and are know for marrying into human families. Now here's the bit, they don't kill they tend to just frighten people, another to cross off the list."

"This is a spirit that could go either way, also a trickster the Tengu are shape shifters with bird like attributes, a long nose. They can be harmful and are known to be skilled with swordsmanship. It doesn't say if it has a special way to kill people."

Scrolling down the computer screen Nabiki stops. "Now this is a nasty one, the Nukekubi. A floating vampire head. It separates from the body during the night to feed and has to return before dawn. The only way to tell if someone is one is by red markings on the lower part of its neck. They don't have a particular method of killing mentioned."

In everyone's mind is the mental image of a floating head bobbing along like a helium-filled balloon, killing people.

"That is most of the more well known spirits but after a better look I'm sure I could find more."

Pulling the papers, she had taken out of her bag back towards her; Nabiki separated some, which had been stapled together. "I was doodling in class today, and I thought of an idea about how we could find out something about the attacker. That is if Ranma is willing to be bait."

Ranma perks up at the mention of some how being able to fight some one.

"All we need to do is making Ranma look useless; I mean helpless and bait the monster with a spare magic artifact and then put him right here," Nabiki points to a spot on the map she had made up of the attacks. "It's the exact centre of what ever is happening. I trust that Ranma is strong enough to face what ever is hurting people with out trouble. It can't be any worse than some of the insanely strong idiots that have challenged him. We can both follow at a safe distance with radio contact and then we just wait and see. It's the best plan I can think up at the moment."

Ranma looks excited to be able to beat up what ever has been attacking humans but Ger looks worried.

"What about Ranma's aura it's kind of noticeable?"

Nabiki pulled a small clip on badge of a little green frog, from her backpack and passed it to Ranma. "This is a little something I picked up a few years ago, once you put it on and it's good for five hours to hide your own personal aura. It's very helpful for sneaking around high-powered Martial Artists. However, before we settle this plan, I need to confirm my fee. For this work I am happy to work for 8000 yen as well as both a Black Forest Gateau and one mud cake."

Ger was impressed by the amount of info the girl has got over such a short time. "Sure, Mum will be happy to do that if you help stop these attacks."

Nabiki smiles she can already taste the chocolate.

Ranma's forced to jog her shoulder as she starts to drool.

The plan had been made up quickly; they would meet again that Saturday night and set up operation Ranma bait. Ranma would have an earpiece supplied by Nabiki, wear the aura-cloaking badge he would then walk slowly through the park were a lot of the attacks happened, and try to look harmless. Nabiki and Ger would follow behind and wait to see what would happen. In the mean time they would all be in their own ways trying to find anything out about what has be going on.

Walking back to the train station Nabiki had firmly clasped to her chest a take away box from "Cenare Deorum."

Ranma had been warned away from the box and had to carry Nabiki's laptop.

"Please can I have a piece, please, please, please, please?" Ranma did the puppy dog eyes and bounced around her while he begged. Well some people would call it whined.

Nabiki's heart was made of sterner stuff and she ignored Ranma's pleading, though by the time they had gotten home Nabiki was ready to smash a mallet into his head just to get him to shut up.

Thus occupied neither noticed the figure who had been watching Ger's shop follow them.

That night after Ranma had recovered from a case of foot in mouth after trying to explain to Akane what he was doing late out with Nabiki, which Nabiki putting her sly comments in, getting her revenge for the Black Forest incident hadn't helped.

Everyone finally settled down for the night. The watcher who had been waiting for this moment moved silently through an open upstairs window. Managing to avoid Akane's violent movements as she slept, he missed the piggy, and the watcher glided soundlessly down the hallway. Two of the auras that were in the house he could recognize, but it was only one that he was interested in.

Reaching the Tendo's guestroom the watcher carefully opened the door and entered. The room was almost bare all that could be seen were two sleeping figures. At one end of the room, two large hiking packs were leaning against the wall. A small photo frame sat next to the smaller sleeping body.

The larger sleeper was snoring away, while the smaller was fighting his blanket and mumbling some thing. "Stupid tomboy . . . . No not the mallet . . . Ahhh dad don't chuck me in the koi pond."

The watcher crept closer so as to gauge the power he had seen before, it was uncertain what this boy was, but the watcher knew it wasn't human. No human could have that much power or be able to change its shape. He didn't know what it was but it was strange and it had been in contact with the Rokurokubi.

It was too powerful for him to just capture and question. Pulling a needle thin dagger carefully shaded black from a hidden pocket; the dark figure leant over the sleeping body of Ranma and placed it at the back of his neck.

**Author Note:**

Revised 10th July 2006

I'll leave it on that Cliff-Hanger, I have written a bit more but to me this felt like the right moment to cut off so your going to have to wait for the next update to see what happens.

If anyone knows some good websites with info on Japanese folklore, I would be really grateful, as my searches haven't turned up as much as I had hoped. There are some really freaky creatures in Japanese myths and I would like for them to pop up as much as I can. It will probably be in a few future chapters before any fiancée problems are dealt with though so sorry about that. If any one has a suggestion, I am interested.

8000 yen as of 28th Jan 2005 is worth roughly 100 Australian dollars if any one is willing to proofread for my stories, I would be really grateful. Please.

The name of the coffee shop is 'Dine with the Gods' . . . maybe?

**Reviews:**

_Wonderbee31:_ thanks for reminding me about the fiancées, I hadn't really thought about that but now a really nasty idea umm I mean sweet idea has come to mind.

_Tsuki Yomi:_ Thanks for reviewing,

**SURPRISE:**

PHORCYS' SIMPLE CHOCOLATE SAUCE

After writing about the food in these stories, I started craving chocolate. I make a note the craving for cake in the story will not replace slapstick sex jokes . . . those will turn up later. This is my own recipe for a sauce you can use for anything including dip, cake icing, pancakes, ice cream, and body paint.

100 grams of any solid chocolate, I once melted chocolate scorched almonds, to make it for a friend.

100 ml of any sort of cream.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave how long depends on what chocolate you use over 40 secs is just a starting guide. Make sure it is all melted. Don't worry if it forms lumps. Mix the chocolate together with the cream 'till it is fully combined and all lumps should be gone. It is now ready. If you want to get creative after making it the first time try adding essences such as mint or orange to the mix or what ever you want.

What ever you do under the influence of this sauce and what ever you use it for it is your own responsibility.


	3. Beauty Sleep

**Spirit Hunter**

_Chapter Three_

Beauty Sleep

Revised 10th July 2006

Revised 9th September 2006 by Hiryo

Pre-read by Hiryo.

**Disclaimer:**

Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi any other strange reference to books, movies, magazines, comics, songs, or folk dance does not belong to me. Please I am small and insignificant so don't sue me.

Enjoy!

The therapist's office felt calming and soothing. Gentle country prints lined the walls with cute pictures of kittens and horses. The walls were painted butter yellow and radiated a warm comforting atmosphere. A large tropical fern took up one corner and opposite it was a large pine bookcase filled with physiological textbooks and other texts with titles like, 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus' and 'How to be a Loving Partner.'

Sitting in a leather swivel chair sat a woman, young or old, her face was hard to describe, in some lights she could be twenty, but in others, she looked fifty. The light grey business shirt she wore underneath the jacket highlighted the cream color of the modern women's suit. A long skirt ended in a small throw rug sitting over her feet. With her hair of a hard to place color pulled back in a professional looking bun, she is the epitome of calming therapist. In her right hand, she clutched a small notepad and was writing into it as she looked on the woman sitting opposite her.

Settled back in a large soft recliner a young woman sat. Her dark brown hair cut short in a sharp bob that framed her face. Holding a handful of used tissues in her hands, her face would have been quite pretty but what makeup she had worn now was smeared and she bore a passing resemblance to a clown. In comparison to the therapists collected calm, this girl wears a pair of dirty blue jeans and crumpled red button up shirt.

"Now, how do you feel about what he said?" The therapist had a questioning look on her face.

"I just want him to understand that I need some time. I can't always be looking after him."

Leaning over the therapist offered the box of tissue sitting beside her to the girl. "Do you think he knows how you feel?"

Sniffling, the girl shook her head. "No, I think he's an insensitive jerk. He should know what I mean when I said I wanted to go out."

"So you think he doesn't listen to you?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to get out of the house, go see a movie or have a meal but he wanted to stay at home and watch television."

"When was the last time you went out together?"

"We went to the park together a couple of weeks ago but he called me a 'fetid piece of human scum' and tried to bite me."

"Why do you think he said that?"

"Well he says that an evil force is seeking to drain the life energy from all humans, and it possessed him, but I know what he really meant. He's just hiding behind the possession because he doesn't want to tell me the truth."

"Do you think he deserves you?"

Bursting into hiccupping tears the girl put her face in her hands. "NO."

The crying girl completely missed the smug grin that has slithered over the therapists face. After the girl had been calmed down and sent home with another appointment and a feeling of righteous rage at her partner, the therapist settled back in her office chair kicking the blanket off that hid the fact she had no feet and pushed herself off into a spin. "Weeee . . . ." It was so much fun to be a couple therapists; she had broken up more relationships this way than she had had been ever able to manage as a normal ghost.

During her human life, she had been in love with a young man whose family lived across the street. She had thought they were a true Romeo and Juliet couple fighting the hate that sat between the two families. They exchanged love letters and she thought they were in love. One night they had both agreed to be together for always they had exchanged commitment rings. The week after, she had seen him making out at school behind the chemistry building with one of the most popular girls in school, not thinking clearly that she had committed suicide by taking painkillers with a chaser of whisky and then discovered her fate too late to change it.

She was now a ghost doomed forever to attempt to break happy couples up. Spending decades around her old high school, she spread whispers and pain but it only had a small affect. A couple of years ago an old friend had pointed her in the direction of couple's therapy. People come to her to have their relationships fixed they don't expect her to be breaking them up.

Happy couples with no problems arrived through her door and left questioning each other commitment. Looking down at her appointment book, she was pleased to see that she was booked solid for the rest of the day. Suddenly the phone next to her rang and she picked it up,

"Hello, Teresa Holmes, I'm here to help you.

"What?"

"How?"

"Do you know if anyone else has been taken?"

"You're sure?"

"He's not going to like this."

Putting the phone down Teresa Holmes couples therapist vengeful ghost sunk back in her chair and wished she had lungs so she could have a cigarette.

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In the usually chaotic Tendo household, a moment of peace had settled over the home. Every one was asleep, and the only thing, which stirred, was an ominous figure leaning over a sleeping Ranma with a mysterious liquid coated knife. Peace doesn't last long in this house.

The figure was dressed in a shabby dark grey long coat and loose pants. The color unlike black faded into the shadows of the night. With a lithe build, the coat hung lightly off its shoulders. Bumps and mounds under the back of the coat may indicate that the watcher had weapons hidden but then again maybe it wasn't weapons. A tight grey hood was pulled over its head and the only things visible were its eyes and mouth. The eyes of the figure were a dark brown almost black, hard, and sharp; they were not worried over what they were about to do. The look implied that what it was about to do it had done before and would do again and quite happily eat a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs afterwards.

Leaning carefully over the sleeping boy with the syringe posed to take his life, the watcher was thrown violently across the room when a bolt of bright ki appeared in the boys' hands. The man then traveled through the closed door of the room's inbuilt cupboard, smacking the back of its head against a pile of cinder blocks.

'So that's where she keeps them,' Ranma settled back into a deeper sleep, in his dreams Ryoga had been trying to eat the giant mountain sized chocolate swirl mud cake he had found, and he had had to take defensive action to keep it.

In the dream, Ryoga had been successfully repelled after Ranma shot a Moko Takabisha, shooting the dream Ryoga away from the cloud he had been sitting on. It was his cake all his Ha, Ha, ha, ha, ha. Sounds of sleepy chewing could be heard from Ranma as he started munching on his bed sheet.

No one noticed this noise after being woken numerous times by people challenging Ranma they had learnt to sleep through any noises of fighting and found it easier just ignoring them all.

Ranma himself treasured his sleep and after being woken up by flights into the koi pond, buckets of ice water and Ryoga attacking, it would take more than a mysterious death threat.

Groggily the misadventures murderer slowly stood up and walked back over to the still deeply sleeping boy. 'It looks like I have to take the fight elsewhere.' The grey figure pulled a small bottle and eyedropper out of his coat. It would only take a few drops and the boy would be unconscious until he got some answers. After he had been hunting monsters for years and through hard work he hadn't often been touched, but that energy bolt had caught him off guard. This brought new problems, which he was going to have to ask this kid about.

Picking up the corners of the sleeping mat Ranma was resting on the grey figure scoped the bed up in a hammock like roll, and carefully he inched his way out of the room and down the hallway.

Suddenly a door opened further down the hall and a small piglet with a black and gold bandana and a strange aura emerged and trotted towards him then past him turning into what the grey figure assumed was the bathroom.

Freezing the attempted murderer could have sworn he heard a toilet flush.

The piglet remerged from the bathroom and walked back into the room it had come out of.

There were other creatures in this house that he was going to have to come back and investigate.

Passing through the streets no one stopped him; those people left in Nerima didn't ask questions of strange people that hung around with suspicious packages late at night. Those that had any curiosity were long dead; this process is called selective evolution.

Luckily, the watcher had noticed a park not far from the house. It's filled with trees. On reaching it, he found it no trouble to find a hidden spot and he made sure the boy was held securely with a light rope he always carried. Standing he leaned back against a tree hands crossed over his chest and waited the sleeping solution should not last more than an hour.

Waking up in strange places unfortunately wasn't unusual for Ranma; even being tied up when he woke up wasn't what he would consider strange. Without looking around he could see it was still night and he was in the local park. "Okay, Shampoo, you know I talked to you about not trying to kidnap me do we have to have another little talk."

The grey figure stays leaning against the tree, waiting for the boy's attention.

"Shampoo, Shampoo, untie me you crazy cow." Ranma shouted this until he noticed Shampoo wasn't coming and that a grey man was standing against a tree with a huge teardrop.

"Hey, sir, do you think you could untie me I think this crazy girl I know has tied me and put me here so she can have her wicked way with me. Do ya think you could untie me?"

Walking up to the bound Ranma the man looks down. "What are you?"

"Oh sorry I didn't introduce myself. I am Ranma Saotome, heir to the Saotome School of Indiscriminate Grappling. Do you think you could untie me?"

"No, what are you?"

Ranma blinked, "You're the one who tied me up aren't you?" Ranma started to speak as if reading from a script. "If at some time in the past, Pop, has engaged you or some family member to me please come back during working hours and your claim will be dealt with then."

"My name is Nos," he paused as if expected recognition, "and boy I won't say this again what are you?"

"Ahhh, you must be a challenger if you'd just untie me I will more than happy to fight." Pulling on the ropes Ranma finds them to be quite secure and yes, there were no handy sharp rocks or broken bottles behind him.

Reaching down the grey figure backhanded the tied up Ranma.

"You know after Ryoga that didn't really hurt, so if you're gonna torture me you might want to try some thing harder."

Taking a dagger from a hidden pocket the stranger drew it in front of Ranma's face.

"Okay, what was that question again?"

"What are you?"

"Human last time I checked, but don't hold me to it."

"Your not human boy, tell the truth."

"No pretty sure I'm a human."

"No human should have the power you have, where did you come from?"

"Well if you really want to know. When a mummy and daddy love each other very much and get very drunk at a Christmas party . . . ." Ranma received another backhand stopping his explanation.

"You know you're a very annoying boy. Why were you at the Rokurokubi?"

"You mean Ger; well he has the best chocolate cake I've ever tasted . . . mmmm chocolate."

Another backhand breaks Ranma out of his daydream. "I felt him use his power when you were there; you had dealings with the unnatural creature haven't you."

"Hey, no one who has cake that good is unnatural. And I know humans that are way weirder than Ger."

"So; you are not one of them."

"Them, who?"

"A spirit."

"Nope, just you're average everyday expert Martial Artist. I would pinkie swear but, you know the rope?"

"Why were you dealing with the Rokurokubi?"

"Well, if you really want to know, you'll have to untie me first."

Nos was under the theory that the one who is armed with weapons always beat the one without, rolled Ranma onto his front and cut the ropes. 'If the boy fled, I know where he lives.'

Stretching Ranma rolled over and lifted his legs up kicked out catching the guy in grey in the gut pushing off from him and springing up with his hands in a somersault.

Flying backwards the hunter was caught unaware, the kid had done it again, and he traveled through a few bushes before a tree trunk stops him.

Storming back to the clearing, Ranma had launched him from, the man found no sign of the boy then he heard a laugh from above.

"You know it's not very nice to tie people up especially when they are having the best dream ever." Ranma was sitting in a branch of a tree leaning back into the trunk.

"You little punk, just tell me what you were doing with the Rokurokubi."

"Oh I don't know why I should, Ger's a nice bloke, and you look like the kind of guy that doesn't really appreciate chocolate."

"Get down here you . . . ." Nos pulled a short sword from out of the top of his coat. The two-foot long blade was dark and did not shine in the moonlight, bringing the blade round in a circle.

Ranma suddenly found his world tilting and he was falling. Hopping out of his tree, he moved to the one next to him. "Fine if you're going to be grumpy, Ger's worried about some thing that's attacking and killing people we think it has to do with the spirits. Okay, I told ya, so can ya just bug off?"

Then at that moment sky decided to open and a cloud free evening turned into a storm.

Ranma cursed his luck and pulled the drawstring on his PJ-pants tight.

"You lied," Nos screamed in fury, "you're a spirit, a shape changing creature!"

Ranma looked up to see Nos descend from above after he had launched himself into the air. Jumping out of the tree Ranma watched the sword slice through the branch he had been sitting on. "What is with you sword guys and chopping up trees? Are you a lumberjack?"

Standing on another tree branch Ranma glanced down and saw that Nos short sword had caught the material of his baggy pants and it was sliced clean through, he hadn't felt it happen. Ranma would have really liked to fight this loon but his sleep had been bad lately and to be able to face the multiple attacks from challengers he received every day he really needed his beauty sleep.

Forming the confidence needed to launch it; Ranma stepped up to Nos and tapped him on the shoulder. "Missed me. Moko Takabisha! Got ya."

Nos was again finding himself launched into the air it really was becoming tiring.

While he flew upwards, Ranma jumped up and as he descended, slammed his fists into Nos' chest repeatedly. The crater formed by Nos wasn't that big well not compared by those normally produced by Ranma's fights and in the centre lays a groaning body. Ranma stared down at Nos and grinned. "You're coming home with me."

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That morning as Kasumi opened the linen cupboard to put away clean sheets she had put in the dryer last night she found a violently angry bound and gagged Nos.

Ranma had forced the gag in when Nos had stared screaming about unholy creatures, 'maybe he's related to Kuno.'

Kasumi stared at the bound man who was bright red and rocking backwards and forwards and put the sheets away. 'Really,' she thought, 'if Ranma was going to have friends over he could have at least have given him a blanket.' Giggling she lifted a blanket from a shelf and placed it over the struggling Nos' head. 'There that's better.'

That morning at breakfast as a female Ranma stuffed her face as quickly as she could.

Kasumi spoke up. "Ranma why is there a strange man dressed in grey tied up in my linen closet?"

Ranma swallowed. "Oh, he's this loony guy that thinks I'm an evil creature of the night, I think he got me confused with vampires. If you could just water him when I'm at school I just need to get Nabiki to interrogate him."

Kasumi the perfect hostess agreed and quietly hoped Ranma won't kidnap any more people; they had had so much trouble last year with the Girl Scout cookies.

That night in Nabiki's room after Nos had been tagged and released back into the wild. Nabiki told Ranma what she had been able to get out of him. "First off, I was able to kind of convince him you are not an evil spirit merely a misguided human with a curse and too much power with not enough brains."

"Hey!"

"Be quiet I'm talking. Your guess was right he does have some thing to do with killings, just not the ones we know of. He's a hunter. Primarily he targets evil spirits that are harming humans. Once he stopped issuing death threats Nos was pretty coherent and told me that he had only arrived in Tokyo a month ago when a friend invited him. It turns out human's with magic have been repeatedly attacked in the city."

"Are these same attacks and killings we know of?"

"I don't know yet, I haven't talked to any of the people that survived an attack. But if it is, then Nos can be a friend, we just need to keep him away from Ger."

Ranma sat cross-legged on the ground and looked up at Nabiki who sat at her desk. "You know this is looking bigger than just a little hit and run killing."

"I know. I may have to ask for another cake, I saw this recipe for orange liquor and dark chocolate one the other day."

"Are you going to go and get anymore information about the attacks?"

Nabiki pulled out a business card she had on her desk. "Nos was almost cordial by the end, I think he merely wants to kill you, he doesn't want to skin you and rub chili powder into your open wounds anymore. He gave me this card. It's the number of one of the people attacked. Apparently, they own a shop only a couple of blocks over from Ger. Tomorrow after school I'll head over. Do you have a plan?"

"Well this has all to do with magic and I was thinking who do we know who knows that stuff so I'm going to head over and talk to Cologne. Ger said he was going to go home and talk to his parents about what they may know."

"What would Ger's parents would they know about Spirits?"

Ranma jumped up and went to the door. "Oh I don't know, I think the whole family knows lots about spirits."

**Authors Note:**

Revised 10th July 2006

And on that, I will end. It is a short chapter but I think the meetings will take up a chapter in itself. I'm sorry that my action moment wasn't very good I just don't know how to write them. I have no real knowledge of fighting.

**Thank you for reviewing:**

_Pale Wolf:_ Thanks for telling me about the website!

No foods in this one but next time watch for when Ger visits his parents.


	4. Who, Where, What , Why?

**Spirit Hunter**

_Chapter Four_

Who, Where, What, Why?

Revised 10th July 2006

Revised 9th September 2006 by Hiryo

Pre-read by Hiryo.

**Disclaimer:**

Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi any other strange reference to books, movies, magazines, comics, songs, or folk dance does not belong to me. Please I am small and insignificant, so don't sue me.

Enjoy!

The line at the door stretched around the block. Everyone wanted to get in to 'Neo 5,' it was the hottest nightclub in town. Two big beefy bouncers dressed in tuxes guarded the door from anyone they deemed not cool enough.

Inside the walls were black with lightning bolt patterns of silver and purple, a stairway led down from the door into a large pit tables sat around the edge, and a bar was on the left. The tables and chairs continued up the walls of the club, reaching the head height of most of the patrons. A stage sat at the end opposite the front door and at the moment a girl band was playing something punk rock. The club was alive with people, it was a thriving scene music drowned out the sound of happy drinkers and dancers.

From the balcony above the stage, a large one-way glass window looked down on the people below.

Cassus the club's manager looked out over the living crowd below him. "You know I never thought this place would do any good, but what do I know." Turning away from the window Cassus walked over to the half-naked blonde girl sitting on his desk. "It looks good down there; I should go check it out later."

Cassus was a short man, who had always tried to look taller, at the moment he was wearing a sharply cut dark green suit with a lime green shirt poking out at the throat. A gold neck chain could be glimpsed when Cassus leant over to kiss the girls neck. The word lounge lizard was created with him in mind. "Ummm, you taste good. Everyone wants to get into the VIP room. But it's very exclusive, what can you show me that will let you in?"

The girl slid a hand back through the manager's short black hair and whispered coyly. "I don't know? What would you like?"

Cassus trailed kisses up the girl's throat to her lips. Just as he reached her mouth, a mobile on his desk rang. "Ahhh, just ignore that."

The phone continued to ring, concentrating on the girl Cassus didn't notice the silver mobile turn red, smoked, and then melt. The melted plastic and metal formed a puddle on the metal desk.

Looking up from his in-depth investigation into the girls breasts Cassus finally noticed what had once been his mobile. "Oh S000!" Shoving the girl off the desk Cassus shouted at her to get out of the room.

The swinging door hit her arse on the way out.

Pulling another mobile out of an inner pocket in his suit jacket, Cassus hesitated then pushed speed dial.

On the other end of the phone line, a scratching noise could be heard it sounded like cicadas.

"Sir, please excuse my tardiness I shall not do that again."

The noise of insects increased on the other end echoing oddly in the club's office.

"Yes, sir I have sent the Nukekubi."

A voice could be heard under the sound of the insects.

"No sir I did not know that Nos was here." Sitting at his desk Cassus began to sweat, he pulled the folded handkerchief from his top pocket and began wiping his brow. "Sir, I'm sure that we will be able to keep everything out of the public eye. There is no reason to call anyone else."

The noise from the other end intensified.

"No, sir I am not questioning you. Is there any thing you wish me to do?" Picking up a set of meditation balls that had been resting on his desk Cassus began to roll them in his left hand. "If anyone starts snooping immediate removal, yes sir I understand."

The other end of the line is eerily quite for a second then a piercing high-pitched squeal emerged from the tiny hand piece.

Cassus dropped the meditation balls and folded up collapsing on the floor. Blood began to pour out of his ears, eyes, and nose. Gasping he was forced to clutch his head in agony until the shriek ended. Pulling himself up to his chair with his hands on the armrests Cassus wondered if it was possible that he could run fast enough and further enough to escape the reach of his boss. Pulling another silk handkerchief from his breast pocket, he began to wipe his face clean. He thought about escape, then discarded the idea, when whatever the big guy had planned come to fruition, he wanted to be with him not caught in the line of fire.

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The sun was shinning and it was a beautiful day but all Ger saw was pain and distress. He was about to undertake a task he dreaded above all others including trips to the dentist. Today he was going home to talk to his Mother. It wasn't as if she was a bad person, everyone in the family loved her and thought the world of her, and she just had these little quirks. He had even tried to tidy himself up; he was wearing a clean pair of jeans and a clean t-shirt this one said, 'Never Underestimate the Power of Stupid People in Large Groups.'

Walking from the train station to his family home Ger thought about the phone call he had gotten the night before from Ranma. They weren't going to carry out their original plan; apparently, Nabiki thought it needed modifying after some loon named Nos had attacked Ranma. It worried him that there was another guy wandering around Tokyo attacking supernatural creatures.

It also didn't reassure him when Ranma told him that all the people who had been attacked or killed were human witches. The whole thing caught his family coming and going. They pretended to be psychic to cover the fact they really are magical. How was he going to explain this to his Mum?

Arriving at the gate of the Kubia family home, Ger was always happy to be home. It hadn't been that long since his parents had set him up at 'Cenare Deorum.' Up 'till then he had only helped his parents run the small chain of cafes.

The gates to the house opened onto a small front garden, it was a two-story house, and Ger could see the wood project bowl he had made when he was 12 sitting in the flowerbed, filled with pebbles.

Lifting his hand to knock on the door, Ger hesitated he could always call here later and ask her. However, no, if he didn't come around regularly she would start turning up at the cafe. Bringing his fist down on the door Ger knocked and hoped his mother wasn't home.

The door was pulled open in a rush and Ger's first glance was off his mother chest as she hugged him until he squeaked. "Oh my boy's home, oh you feel so thin you need to eat more. Come into the kitchen I was just cooking."

Grabbing Ger's arm his Mother dragged him down the hallway after he had taken off his shoes and into the kitchen.

The kitchen of Ger's family was in industrial sized measurements, a walk-in fridge took up one wall, and on the other side two industrial stoves were cooking food in a number of pots and pans. This was where Ger's Mum prepared her cakes, baked goods for the shop, and where she fed her family. A job she maybe took a little too seriously.

Mixing bowls and Tupperware containers filled with flour and other baking ingredients covered the large wooden table that sat in the centre of the kitchen. A large whiteboard stuck to the wall of the walk-in freezer listed where the rest of Ger's family was.

Mrs. Kubia looked proudly at her son as she cut a slice of carrot cake with cream cheese icing for her son. "Eat; you are growing skinny, living by yourself. You know whenever you want you can come home and I will cook you up a big meal. It isn't good for you to be this skinny."

Ger sighed and shoved his hand back through his hair, it was the same every time he came home, or when his mum dropped her cakes off at the cafe, she would push food at him. Sometimes, he though he was like one of those French geese, to have food stuffed down his throat until he exploded.

Picking up the fork that his mother had put on the side of the plate, he watched her shove the cake materials to the side and start cooking a large meal, just for him. He hadn't the heart to tell her wasn't hungry. Ger wished Ranma was here, he swore after seeing him eat that cake he would be able to do justice to his mothers cooking. Mrs. Kubia would love the Martial Artist for just his ability to put away food.

Digging the fork into the rich cake, Ger looked at his Mother who was busy mixing, and stirring. "Mum, have you heard about the attacks that have been happening in my district?"

"Oh yes, I told your Father that we should shut up the shop and bring you right home but he said no it would be all right you knew how to look after yourself." Ger's Mum carefully measured a cup of milk and poured it into a large mixing bowl. "I got some great free range chicken from the butchers yesterday, I was going to make some chicken, camembert and cranberry pies for the shops but you're here now, and I can cook some of it up with this sherry and brown sugar glaze. I hope you're hungry?"

Ger groaned under his breath it was going to take a forklift to get him back to the train station. "These attacks Mum, I think they have something to do with people like us. These friends of mine said that everyone that has been attacked had some sort of connection to magic."

Putting down the chicken, she had started to stuff with saffron rice and almonds Ger's mother rushed over to him. "Right, you're coming home. You are not going to be living by yourself where some crazy person can hurt you. We have plenty of room here someone else can manage the store."

Ger sighed he had hoped she wouldn't have reacted like this that's why he had waited for so long to tell her about the attacks. "Look, Mum we really need your help if you could tell us anything about the spirits in town we would appreciate it."

Clutching Ger to her motherly bosom, she sighed, "You shouldn't involve yourself in these things, there're people out there whose job it is to track down and capture people like that."

Mrs. Kubia grasp was slowly crushing Ger's ribs until smoke started to leak from one of the ovens. "Mum, something's on fire."

Shrieking Ger's mother let go and rushed to save what she had been baking. "My éclairs!"

While Mrs. Kubia worked on her rescue mission Ger tried to ask again. "Mum, I know you and dad don't talk much about what we are, but I think there is something out there," making a vague gesture out the window, "trying to attack us. Now I know those people who have a job hunting down the bad guys. They asked if I could help. I won't be involved in anything I am just giving them advice. I'll be completely safe. But I know you have to know something about the spirits in Tokyo."

After dumping a steaming pan into the sink Ger's mother picked up the chicken, she had dropped and kept stuffing it. "As long as you aren't getting involved I guess it would be all right for me to tell you." Placing the chicken in a clean tray, she slid it into the oven.

"As you should know all the beings that you can find in old folktales are real. I shouldn't have to give you detailed history of how we got here, or I haven't been teaching you right. While we survive today, in the modern world, with its camera's and television is being utterly ordinary, which reminds me I need to make some 'kusa mochi' for your sister's school trip. We blend in, and we survive. Others well . . . ."

Mrs. Kubia shook her head and frowned.

"Others haven't had as much success. Oni and the like just can't get along with humans. They tend to gravitate to the world they can sympathize with and you will find them in nasty dirty places." Pulling a bowl covered with a cloth that had been sitting on a corner of the bench to her, Mrs. Kubia removed a mounded of risen dough, and started to work it into shape.

"You know how hard we work to remain hidden I can't really tell you much about what has been happening in the spirit world, but I have noticed that there is something gathering steam. I hope that helped if your friends need any help just ask me. As long as you aren't getting involved I would be glad to be off assistance."

"Ahhh Mum, I wanted to thank these friends for looking for dangerous criminals and I thought you could make them some of your special Black Forest Gateau and almond mud cake I would be really grateful."

"Well if it's to thank your friends, I would be happy to but you have to bring them over soon, so I can meet these friends of yours. I'll make something especially for them."

Ger imagined Ranma's face at the news that his mother would be cooking a meal especially for him. "Thanks Mum, what's my little sis been up too?"

Later the day Ger, finally made his way out of the family home. Stuffed to the gills with food, he had several plastic bags filled with Tupperware containers of leftovers and baked goods. Half the time when he went home he never got to eat all the food before it went off, but his Mum was only happy if she knew he was eating right. They had spent the end of his stay talking about family and how everyone was getting on.

His little sister Lana had got onto her school softball team. Trudging along the footpath to the bus station Ger wondered if Ranma would take some of the food of his hands then rethought that and wondered if he even needed to ask such a stupid question.

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Nabiki looked down at the business card in her hand then up at the shop that sat at the address on the card. The card was a shiny purple with gold writing, little metallic silver stars were scattered over the card.

'Ceres Cavern'

Owner/Manager: Analis Harton

Magical Equipment: Books, Incense, and Crystals

"We don't do Birthday Parties"

66/A Aubrey

The outside of the shop was painted a color very similar to the card in Nabiki's hand. Gold flowing writing in the window gave the name 'Ceres Cavern' and she could see a window display of dried flowers and books. The owner 'Analis' according to Nos had been attacked last month while she was out making deliveries.

He hadn't wanted to give up any names but Nabiki can be very persuasive when she really wants something and this whole thing was beginning to intrigue her. Finally, the 'Spirit Hunter' had caved when she had started talking about letting Ranma spar with him.

Nabiki had been able to find out that amongst other things that the owner was a well-known member of the local 'Wicca' society.

No one had left or entered the shop while she had been standing there watching.

Putting the business card in her front pocket Nabiki pushed open the door and a bell hanging from the roof sounded. What Nabiki had been expecting was a shadowy shop with enough incense to choke on. What she found, was a bright and cheerful store. The front of the shop had two rows of shelves filled with oils, statues and other little things. Along one wall sat a bookstand filled with numerous texts on magic and psychic power, along the other was a baskets filled with of different small crystals. The store didn't smell of incense, in fact the main smell she could pick out was just a light lavender.

Strolling through the shelves, Nabiki picked up a little good luck statue of a three-legged frog, the tag described it as bringing good fortune in money matters.

Someone coughed politely behind her as she glanced through packets of incense sticks. "Can I help you?"

Nabiki spun around. "Yes, I was looking for the manager Analis Harton."

"Well that would be me."

The woman standing in front of Nabiki was of an average height, with shoulder length graying blonde hair; her eyes were a soft brown and looked peaceful. Marring this homely figure was a large medical bandage tied around the left side of her neck the bright white sticking out from the woman's bright orange sweatshirt.

"How can I help you?"

Nabiki smiled. "Hi, my name's Nabiki and I have a school project on the comparative development of astrology in modern society. I wanted to ask if you have any books that would be helpful."

Nabiki had learnt from past investigations, that the 'old school project' line would get the most suspicious person to start talking like there was no tomorrow. Before she had traveled here, she had found out that Analis was a big 'fan' of astrology and had in fact written several books about the subject. Therefore, if that wasn't going to make her talk nothing was.

"Astrology is an ancient and much worshipped science. Why, ancient Egyptians believed that the stars could be used to plot out the path of their lives to the very hour of their deaths. In fact, Aztec pyramids have been discovered to line up perfectly with stars which we can no longer see in our sky."

Nabiki smiled and pulled out a notebook. "That is so interesting, and why I chose this subject is because I believe that our universe must have some hidden meaning and Astrology plays such a large role in our lives."

Analis face took on the wide grin of a fanatic who's found a convert. "I know, the ether above us contains so many secrets, it grants us the chance the glimpse at the future."

Nabiki saw her chance. "What did the stars tell you of your injury?"

Analis had led Nabiki through to the back of the shop through into the storeroom. As she sat down at a small table and chairs, Analis sighed. "The stars are not petty tools for the unguided. Sometimes their messages are cloaked in a cloak of dark shadows."

'In other words, sweet fanny Adams.' "What happened to you?"

In one of Analis hands was a smooth red pebble, which she started rubbing. "I was making deliveries late Tuesday night. When I'd just arrived at the address and, I knew that place just wasn't right. So, I went to ring the bell and it came at me from behind. I just froze and it managed to cut at my throat. I still can't believe that something like this happened to me, and in our neighborhood. So much happened so quickly, if one of the other tenants of the apartment building hadn't of heard me scream and had come down. I don't know what could have happened."

Nabiki made notes on her pad. "Well, that is just terrible," Nabiki leant forward and patted the older women on the knee. "I was wondering, other people I have interviewed have said that the stars can help you find some one?"

Analis ignored Nabiki's veiled question. "You know there was something about the whole thing that felt wrong. I never saw who attacked me. It happened so fast and the women that saved me didn't see anything either."

"Do you believe the crime could have been motivated by your choice in occupation?"

Analis looked nonplussed "I don't know. Wait a moment, are you really writing an assignment for school?"

"Would you believe me if I said yes?" Nabiki weighed up continuing with her story and explaining herself and decided that there was nothing to gain either way.

"I don't know right now. Why are you really asking me questions?"

"Myself and other concerned citizens have become aware of the attacks and killings, which have been occurring in your neighborhood and we feel that there may be a supernatural factor to what has been occurring. We hoped that you may be able to help us with our inquires."

"You could have just asked young lady and not tried to hide it."

"I am sorry; I will be more truthful from now. Did you notice anything out of the usual that occurred either before or after the attack, we really need to know?"

Rubbing the red stone between her fingers, Analis sighed. "The night felt perfectly normal nothing seemed truly wrong until just before the attack. There're others in my area that I have heard have been attacked. I hope I don't have any enemies. I don't consider worrying about the cranks I sometimes get messages from."

Nabiki thought about this. "Do you know if anyone else would know anything about the attacks?"

"My friend Tim has great success in viewing the future. He called me before the attack but I brushed it off, he had been wrong before."

"Do you have any knowledge of supernatural creatures?"

"You hear things about Oni and Tengu but, they're just folktales. Why?"

"Those I represent feel that spirits may have something to do with these deaths. Can you tell me anything?"

"I'm sorry I don't know much, I just dabble my toes in all the magic. I sell the books and materials what you want to do is talk to the ones who know how to use the stuff."

"Would it be possible if I could get a name and number of your friend Tim and anyone you think could help us? We just want to stop these attacks."

Reaching for a pen and paper that were sitting on a desk in the backroom Analis wrote down the names of the people Nabiki asked for. "I've put the number of a guy I know he used to buy stuff from me until a couple of years ago. He was really knowledgeable about magic. Something about him was different from all the others I got in here. Tim's a good guy. He'll answer your questions. He's not a loon, just 'special'. I'll say that now, you just need to approach him in the right way."

Taking the paper from Analis Nabiki put in her pocket and walked back out to the shop taking a look at the books lining one wall. "While I'm here do you have any books about Japanese Spirits?"

"Yes, here's a good one I've had on special for the past month only 1000 yen '_Japanese Spirits: a Spotters Guide_.'"

Nabiki looked through the contents page 'Oni: Ogre or Troll' and 'Kappa Myth or Reality.' It looked like a very useful tool. "Do you get many people interested in our traditional spirits?"

While Analis made the purchase, she looked thoughtful. "Well I'm glad you ask, it reminded me of something that happened, a couple of months ago. This guy came in looking for texts on Japanese myths he turned his nose up at what I had on display. He kept on asking me if I had anything real. What made him odd was because he was wearing a business suit and looked like a professional not the usual customer we get. He didn't look like some dad getting books for his kid's project either. I don't know why but that guy just stuck in my head. He had a real good look around the store too."

By the time, Nabiki and Analis had finished talking the sky had turned dark and the streetlights were turned on.

Analis saw this as she led Nabiki out and swore lightly. "Damn, I need to get home; I thought I had more time. Look if you just wait a sec we can walk to the train station together I won't take a second to lock up."

Nabiki stood by the open front door as she watched Analis pack up. "Who do you have to do your books?" Nabiki asked out of curiosity.

"Oh. I do them myself and god don't I wish there was a spell that would fix them for me."

Nabiki perked up maybe she could get a job out of this. As they both left the shop and Analis locked up Nabiki spoke. "You know I have a great deal of experience dealing with account books, and have balanced the books for a large business."

A dark light suddenly was flung down onto the two women.

The streetlights went dark and Nabiki could not see Analis. "What the F000!"

Someone screamed.

Nabiki draw a breath, felt a cold slice of air, and then a drop trailed down her neck. Something had cut her. What the hell was going on?

**Authors Note:**

Re-read and made shiny 22nd July.

Thank you very much for reviewing it really helps.

**Thank you for reviewing:**

_Wonderbee31:_ Thanks heaps, I have at yet not decided on a match up.

_Locke1:_ Thanks for the comments about writing fight scenes.

_To the anonymous reviewer:_ I agree Ranma is not in this chapter. It's Ger and Nabiki's turn to search for information. The next chapter will be Ranma going to Cologne and what results from that. Ranma's unique way of gaining information will take up a lot of room so I have decided to split it.

Please if you want becoming my pre-reader, you'll make some readers very happy.


	5. Information is Not for Free

**Spirit Hunter**

_Chapter Five_

Information Isn't For Free.

Revised 22nd July 2006

Revised 9th September 2006 by Hiryo

Pre-read by Hiryo.

**Author Note:**

Finally, you will find out what Ranma has been getting up to while Ger and Nabiki were out and about.

Please review and tell me if you have an idea or don't like something. Thank you for spending five seconds reviewing

For some reason during this fight, I had Eels-Soul Jacker in my head.

**Disclaimer:**

Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi; I am only using it for my own sick twisted enjoyment.

Enjoy!

A sharp wind was blowing through the park as a couple walked along its graveled path. They held each other close and the dark haired man clutched an arm tight around the shorter blonde women's shoulders.

The trees made a sighing sound and small, foot high, lights illuminated the path.

The couple was enjoying each other's company, when a sharp cracking noise sounded from the bushes to their left. Pulling the woman in tighter to his side, the man stopped and peered into the dark trees. After a short time no other noises sounded.

"It must have just been a dog, or something." The man explained away to his girlfriend.

Now people, can we pause for a minute here, in any situation where you are alone with your partner in a park, abandoned fairground, camping site, or mansion, you do not say, 'it must have been a cat,' that's like asking for the big crazy guy to jump out at you with the knife, machete, or chainsaw. Luckily, for this couple the noise to their left had been a dog. The noise to their right, which they could not hear over the breeze was however not a cat.

A vast form burst out of the bushes on the right of the couple stunning them into flight.

A shout from the right of the fleeing couple spurned them to run faster.

"Morons run!" From out of the shadows Nos appeared his grey coat spread out behind him, his threatening image only slightly marred by the white pressure bandage wrapped around his ribs.

Clutching his two short swords tightly in his hands Nos leapt forward not giving the Oni any time to think.

"You know you would think by now that natural selection would have led you to stop picking such obvious targets. All I needed to do was follow some couple by themselves in a park and within ten minutes, you show up. I swear they're like sugar water to negative spirits."

Springing off the ground, Nos, evaded the sloppy swings of the Oni's massive arms, slipping one sword in a shallow cut under the Oni's ribs. Flipping over the horns of the creature, Nos brought his other short sword down on the Oni's back landing behind him.

Sliding one of the swords into the sheath that lay on his back under his grey duster Nos pulled a handful of small throwing daggers.

The Oni stood with one hand holding the places Nos had cut him. Screaming it swung around to face the Spirit Hunter and quickly thrust an arm forward.

Nos jumped backwards, his throw affected, the dagger slammed only into the creatures meaty nose splitting it in half instead of killing it instantly. "Look I have had a crappy week; some snot nosed kid was able to beat me. Then this hard-nosed piece of work, made me pay her 20000 yen to untie me. You wouldn't know it but killing monsters isn't the best paying job in the world."

Pulling on of the stakes keeping the small trees, which lined the path; safe the Oni threw it like a javelin slamming Nos in the ribs fortunately barely breaking skin.

"Stuff tradition, do you know anything about any murders happening a couple of districts over?"

Stumbling backwards the Oni, ran to the tree line, only to be stopped by a throwing knife cutting his right Achilles tendon. Collapsing, the Oni began to stutter in fear for its life. "I might know s . . so . .something, just promise all right, th . . tha . .that you w . .wo. .won't hurt me."

Nos sighed, placed the remaining throwing daggers away, and slid the short sword into its sheath, first making sure to wipe it clean of Oni 'stuff'. "Sure I solemnly swear not to hurt you if you talk. Now spill your guts."

The Oni whimpered and tryed to crawl off.

"Not literally." Nos added. Placing his hands loosely at his sides, Nos stated slowly. "So what do you know about the attacks."

"Someone's been hiring all the freelance spirits, the Oni, and Tengu, even a few ghosts. They've all been looking for something. You know this bloody hurts."

Nos gave him a pointed look.

"A friend of mine this Yuki Onna, Carol, that works over at the meat packing plant she heard that the killings are all being organized by the same guy that's hiring us spirits. I don't know if that's true, it is a rumor. Someone is looking for something."

Nos started to pull the little finger on his right hand in and out of joint, making a clicking noise. "Have you heard anything about the Nerima district?"

The Oni laughed. "Yeah, stay the hell out of there. Those stupid kids will kill you if you go there."

Nos smiled. "Thank you for the information." Before the Oni could blink, Nos slid one of his blades down and through his large eye socket. Killing it instantly, "That didn't hurt, did it?"

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The Cat cafe was booming with business as Ranma turned up after school. A steady stream of customers were entering and leaving.

Ranma looked up at the large sign over the front of the store and licked his lips. 'Hmm, I could get information and maybe some eats from the old ghoul for her favorite son-in-law.'

Walking through the busy entrance Ranma sidled up to the counter avoiding the distracted attentions of the lone waitress Shampoo.

Cologne was behind the counter-serving customers at a phenomenal rate.

Waiting in line Ranma came up to Cologne and leaned forward onto to the counter. "Cologne I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about spirits. It's really important."

Cologne, who had been cutting up some vegetables with one hand, looked up at Ranma. "Why does son-in-law want to ask me about spirits?"

"Well, there's this friend of mine who's worried about these attacks that are happening, I thought you would know about all that old stuff 'cause you're old."

Cologne just sighed, 'Sometimes I wonder no matter how well a fighter the boy is, his foot is permanently attached to his mouth.' "Son-in-Law, I would be happy to help you, if you would just wait for the dinner crowd to end. I will send Shampoo over with your usual."

Ranma smiled, 'This is great I help people and get free food. Could life get any better?'

Later that day the rush had faded and Ranma sat in front of piles of plates and bowls.

Mousse was cleaning tables at the front and had been giving Ranma dirty looks since he had been sent out.

Shampoo had been sent out the back to do some washing up.

Cologne appeared out of the back and pulled up a chair beside the full Ranma. "What do you wish to know about spirits, son-in-law?"

Ranma patted his stomach and lent back in his chair. "Well there have been these weird attacks in a district two over. A friend of mine he thinks that they have something to do with magic. This guy Nos attacked me last night and he said that all the people who had been attacked were magic users or known as Wicca."

Cologne nodded her head. "Yes I have heard of these attacks an acquaintance of mine told me about them. A traveling spirit warder was killed a fortnight ago."

"Do you know much about Japanese spirits?"

Cologne frowned. "I am sorry son-in-law. The spirits of Japan are different from those found in China. I have only a faint idea of the spirits common to this land."

Ranma sighed. 'It looks like I had lucked out with asking Cologne. Nabiki will probably come back from her fact finding with a huge pile of info and rub his nose in it.'

"But, son-in-law, I do know of someone who may be willing to help you if you need to learn about the spirit creatures of Japan and any rumors that are circulating in their world."

Ranma perched up. 'Ha, Nabiki won't beat me.'

"There is a person I know who would be willing to help you, but I warn you now, you must be extremely polite, no back chat. Please take your foot out of your mouth before you say anything. And take the big bag of cucumbers that I will give you to him."

Staring at the plastic bags filled with cucumbers Ranma reread the instructions that were written on the back of a Cat Cafe order form. The instructions led him to a park he had fought Ryoga in a couple of weeks ago he had been blasted into its pond about half way through and had been attacked by Kodachi. Ranma though that he knew every park in his district if only for the fact that seemed to be the place where he was always attacked, that the school and the Tendo's luckily no one attacked him at the movies or when he was on the toilet.

Ranma began to whistle. "Always look on the bright side of life de dum, de dum, de dum, de dum . . . ."

A path led to the pond in the centre of the park and from that, a small stream led off into the trees towards the fresh water spring that fed it.

Late after noon light turned the park a deep golden color, as Ranma followed the instructions from Cologne. Following the stream Ranma quickly found the small spring surrounded in a cobblestone area striding up to the edge of the pool. Ranma stopped whistling and stood still.

In one hand, he held the plastic bag filled with cucumber in front of him. "Hello, I come bearing . . . cucumbers." Feeling a bit of an idiot Ranma shook his head and waited as Cologne had told him too.

Bubbles started to appear on the surface of the water in the spring. In the centre, the water pushed upwards and before Ranma's eyes, a very strange beast appeared. A small green head popped out of the water, with large black eyes and a round face it looked like a weird sort of monkey. Climbing out of the spring it looked from Ranma to the plastic bag filled with cucumbers.

As Ranma got a good look at he began to believe that what was happening wasn't a big joke on him. On the little green guy's back was a turtle shell its hands and fingers were and webbed. Its appearance struck a cord in Ranma's memory it seemed familiar. "Ahhh hi, Cologne says you owe her 100 yen."

The little creature scowled and peered up at Ranma. "What do you want boy?" Stretching out the bag of cucumbers, Ranma spoke. "Cologne said that you might be able to answer some questions I have, for these cucumbers."

The creature reached to grasp the bag, but was stopped when Ranma pulled it out of the short guy's reach. "Umm no not yet, first you answer some questions then the cucumbers."

Sitting on the edge of the pool, the little creature licked his lips sharp, pointed teeth filled its mouth, and suddenly Ranma remembered where he had heard about something that looked like it. It was a Kappa. A second later, another thought hit the Martial Artist that's the spirit that fed via the 'anus.' Carefully sidling over Ranma made sure his back was to the kappa.

"How is the old bag, I haven't seen her since we played a game of monopoly a few months back, I got to be the little car."

Ranma standing very straight and keeping an eye on the kappa replied. "Cologne is well she still looks like an old ghoul. My name is Ranma Saotome heir to the Saotome school of Indiscriminate grappling."

The Kappa perked up. "So you're a fighter, interesting." The kappa steepled his hands in front of his face. "My name is . . . Bob."

Ranma kept a straight face and just nodded Cologne had told him to be polite. "Bob, if I may call you that?"

The kappa gave a small nod and Ranma kept a straight face only by a force of will.

"There have been over a period of six months attacks on magic users in the Tokyo area. A friend of mine who is a Rokurokubi has been noticing something isn't right with the attacks and deaths. He's not the only one; a person in the magic community hired a guy to hunt down what ever was attacking the people. Nos, the guy has serious anger management issues. Any way, do you think you know anything about what has been happening?"

"Yes."

After about five minutes Ranma's patience broke. "Well do you think you could tell me?"

"Only if you say the magic word."

Ranma cursed under his breath there was a magic word, Cologne never told him he had to do magic.

The kappa began to chuckle. "Please, you idiot."

Scratching the back of his head Ranma smiled. "Oh, my bad, please could you tell me about anything that will help me and my friends to stop these attacks."

The kappa smiled its sharp little teeth shone from reflected sunlight. "I don't get out as much as I used to. People are much more alarmist then they were in the old days. One drowned body found in my pond and they'll fence the whole thing off. Nevertheless, I still hear things. There have been rumors going through our world that someone is going to do something big. A lot of the low-level spirits those that have found it hardest to survive in the new world are being gathered by someone. Who ever it is has a great deal of power behind them."

Ranma sighed why couldn't the person he faced ever be weak and inefficient, like Snuffles the Evil Piggy.

The kappa continued. "I don't know but the whole thing has the smell of organized crime, maybe some boss has hired the lot for a big putsch. I have heard rumors that a friend of a friend saw a Nue that is if you don't know your history a sort of evil dream spirit. It's horse sized, with the head of a monkey, the body of a tiger, the tail of a serpent, and the wings of a bird. Pretty hard to miss and you can see why they stick to nightmares and not strip clubs. They can appear as a midnight black cloud and you need a blessed weapon to fight it. This guy is said to have been picked up by the mysterious boss."

Ranma swallowed, it sounded like Pantyhose Taro's illegitimate love child with an exotic petting zoo. "Are there any pretty spirits?"

"Oh sure but they usually have a butt ugly form as well. Do you know anything more about the attacks that may help me with what I can tell you?"

"Well, they all happened in a pretty restricted area. The victims never saw what attacked them. They all happened at night." The kappa smiled like a light bulb had gone off in his brain.

"That may be the key; I think I can help you. You say they all happen at night in a small area. Have you heard about Nukekubi?"

Ranma thought Nabiki had talked about one when she had mentioned the Kappa. They were the floating heads. Nodding at the kappa the spirit continued talking.

"The Nukekubi fits the description. The head and body can only be separate at night and will die otherwise. They are undead and hunt during the night. Otherwise, they look practically human the rest of the time. The only markings are small red runes on the back of their necks, but that's easy enough to hide. The time limit would seriously limit how far and how long it could hunt. The Nukekubi may be your attacker."

Picking at the plastic on the bag Ranma thought about this. "Why would it attack magic users?"

"I have no idea boy. You should know that if it has been attacking people it will do so until the target is dead, very dedicated vindictive creatures. My brother dated one once. Do you think I could have those cucumbers now?"

Ranma tried to keep the image out of his mind. "Ahhh, sure have them. If you have any more info I can get you more cucumbers just get a hold of Cologne. Thanks Bob." Thrusting out the bag, the Kappa was too busy to notice Ranma carefully walking backwards making sure to keep his back to the spirit.

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Walking back home Ranma thought over what had been happening there was definitely something more to this whole thing then just random attacks. Some one was employing spirits maybe organized crime, that didn't sound good. He didn't think it was just equal opportunity hiring at work. Plus, there was some head floating around attacking people. How scary could a bloody head be?

Wait a moment Ranma rewound the conversation with the kappa. "Attacking . . . until the target is dead." Wasn't Nabiki visiting some Wicca a couple of districts over that had been attacked and survived? It was stupid and probably alarmist to think the creature would attack the women on the night Nabiki was with her.

Looking up at the fading daylight Ranma sighed, Murphy's Law said something would happen. He wouldn't put it past fate to have a big screen television directly linked to his life. He hoped she had to pay cable for it. Sighing resignedly Ranma put his hands in his pockets and headed as fast as he could to the train station.

**Authors Note:**

Revised 22nd July 2006

**Thank you so much for reviewing:**

Especially thank the people who have given me websites with info about Japanese spirits it's been a great help.

_Innortal:_ Thank you for saying you will pre-read. I have just had problems getting an email to you. It keeps sending it back too me. If you still want or any one else would want to pre-read I would be really grateful please email me at the address on my profile. Hopefully, that will beat Murphy.

Thank you


	6. The Devils in the Details

**Spirit Hunter**

_Chapter Six_

The Devils in the Details.

Revised 23-27nd July 2006

Revised 9th September 2006 by Hiryo

**Author Note:**

This chapter has been pre-read and spiffed up by Hiryo, thank you very much Hiryo.

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Ranma 1/2 that great honor belongs to the artist and author Rumiko Takahashi. On the other hand, if you recognize anything it's a good chance I don't own that either.

Enjoy!

A heavy silence hung over the nightclub. At night, the lights and music filled the room like a physical being. However, in the late morning on a Sunday, it had the air of dusty degradation.

The cleaners and bar staff would not turn up until 3:00 pm to fix the place up for the nights business. So the only sound in the bar was a steady drip of a leaky tap.

What had seemed to be dark and exciting under the false spotlights of night now showed a faded black setting. Those that partied well into the early morning had crashed hours ago and no one was there to break the thick silence.

Above the empty stage, the large glass window that allowed the manager a clear view over the dance floor and tables was covered with a thick red velvet curtain.

Inside of the room with that large glass window the only light was a little souvenir lamp in the shape of Mt. Fuji. The bare light revealed a long couch, which ran along one side of the office. The couch was in a harsh shade of violent purple. Because of the lack of light, the dark blood red carpet of the room seemed black.

At first glance, the office seemed empty. That proved to be wrong, when a gentle groan echoed through the room, breaking the thick silence that formerly filled it.

Lying on the couch was Cassus. A damp hand towel lay over his face that covered his eyes. With his shiny leather shoes kicked off, he has both feet propped up on the cushions of the sofa. One could see the lurid blue suit he had been wearing that night had all buttons open and the orange silk shirt he wore underneath it had been jerked open at the neck so the pendant that hung from his gold chain had fallen out.

In the little light all that one could distinguish, was some serpentine pattern impressed into the metal.

Lifting a lazy hand to his face Cassus grabbed the useless cloth and flung it onto the carpet. He started talking out aloud, as he was sure everyone else had gone home and no one that still mattered was here.

"Goddamn! Why couldn't the bloody bastard get it right the first time? Every time I have to summon the creature it feels like he had ripped out another piece of my spirit and I'm beginning to feel like there aren't that many pieces left to share."

Slowly sitting up Cassus leant on the back of the sofa. "Last night was a waste of energy. While the boss had me organizing the lower spirits in the search, he had me pulled off it for me to summon that creature. I didn't even know if it succeeded in its task until twilight. Why the hell did the boss wanted him to summon that creature he could have just sent another Oni. It wasn't like humans knew what to do against them anymore."

Cassus sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Oni are not the smartest of henchmen I must admit, but at least they don't have a union. But we know where Nos was last night and it wasn't anywhere near the Tengu. There is a new busy body in town. Nos was bad enough. But at least we can guess what that nutter was doing."

Walking over to his desk Cassus pulled out a key and opened the bottom drawer of his desk. Taking out a first aid case, he removed a disinfectant and cotton wool and slowly eased off his jacket wincing when it rubbed against something under the fabric.

Rolling up his left arm's shirtsleeve, he winced at the bloodstain. The silk shirt had cost a pretty penny and he thought the old man he had brought it off had been driven out of business by now.

From underneath the blood stained orange shirt there was a deep slashing cut, one could see carved in a line down his wrist for a good 3 inches. Somehow, it had not hit any veins or muscles.

What blood there was didn't fit with the picture of the cut, there should have been a great deal more. In fact, it looked almost unnaturally bloodless.

Reaching for the disinfectant and cotton wool Cassus began to clean this wound that was too clean a cut for it not to have been self inflicted that, and his suit and shirt were not cut.

As the sharp antiseptic cream he rubbed around the edges of the cut met, he winced, "God damn spirit! Why couldn't it have wanted a f000ing chicken?"

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Ranma glanced at the piece of paper where Nabiki had written down the address of the shop. The quick train trip had gotten him to a point not far from it. 'I just hope that I'm being an idiot and nothing has happened to Nabiki. In fact, when I get there I bet that she will laugh at me and somehow would have made money out of the attacked victim. It's not as if the worst always happens.' Ranma thought about that, 'oh wait yes it does.' Ranma leapt hurriedly from the roof of the train station roof to roof to the store.

It was well into the early night and the sun had set an hour ago. The streetlights lit up the residential houses and as he got closer to the store the businesses neon lights lightening the street in garish colors. 'So the monster 'Nukekubi' was just a floating head. How hard could that be to fight?'

Thinking about all the strange creatures, he has already faced and that had given him reason to pause, Ranma speed up some more. Leaping to the street below, he checked the numbers and ran down it. The store should be around the corner. It wouldn't be long and Nabiki would be laughing at him.

From above his head a sudden short shower of cold water fell. In a window above Ranma, a bucket went back in that had just been emptied of dirty water. Ranma paid no attention just cursed lightly.

With a fast turn, Ranma spun around the corner and could see under a streetlight an inky darkness that seemed to be a separate part cut out of the night. As he raced towards it, he could see some shadows moving inside of it.

Running down the street, he noticed the shadow was in front of the store 'Ceres Cavern,' while he becomes aware of several silver needles embedded in the shops door. Nabiki had gone to this place so he wasn't just jumping into the middle of some stranger's magical battle.

Coming to a quick halt Ranma stepped out in front of the shadow, which now he was close to looked almost seemingly like a physical creature. Luckily, no one else was on the street the shadow covered most of the footpath for several meters around the store.

Just outside of the circle of darkness, Ranma saw a notebook rumpled with its pages drifting in the wind. He picked it up. It was Nabiki's, only she would have a notebook with 'Donald Trump' on the cover.

The shadow continued to move as though something inside was distorting it.

Venturing to poke it with a finger Ranma found the shadow solid, he could not enter. He drew back his fist and punched the shadow with considerable force. The shadow just absorbed the force of the blow as if it had meant nothing. In the gutter of the street right beside the shadow, Ranma saw a stick . . . with a sharp pointy end.

Picking up the stick Ranma saw that someone had previously sharpened the end. 'Maybe a kid's toy.' Pulling his arm back, Ranma poked the shadow with the sharp end.

There was a dark flash and the shadow vanished as Ranma poked it with the stick. It blew up like a balloon. Where the shadow had been, two figures were fighting, and another was lying on the ground blood surrounding their head.

Nabiki could feel blood drip down her neck from the shallow cut. The sharp pain of it sliced through her conscious, she could not see anything, and had no idea where Analis was. From around her she could hear someone breathing and the rustle of clothing.

Crouching down Nabiki started crawling backwards, attempting to stay as small a target as possible. Suddenly she heard an indrawn breath and a female scream, it was Analis, and she was just above her. With this, she felt someone fall down past her shoulders slumping to the ground.

'I'm in so much trouble. Someone or something was out there killing people.' When she did not hear or feel anyone come to check on Analis Nabiki slowly continued to crawl backwards.

'All I can do is to go for help.' Some rubber like substance stopped her backwards movement. She could feel it give in but it wouldn't break as she gave it a hard backwards kick with her heel.

A feeling of being watched entered her mind. 'There is something in the dark circle with them, and it can see me.' Slowly standing up she kept the boundary of the shadow to her back. Then she started to hear a slithering noise surrounding her. Nevertheless, it wasn't coming from her ears it seemed to end in her mind before it reached her ears. Spreading her arms, out Nabiki spoke. "You are in so much s000. You don't want to mess with me."

She heard male giggles from in front then to her left and then right.

"Look you should just drop this and go home, no one wants any trouble." Pushing an arm out Nabiki tried to feel in front of her. With this, she feels something before her. "Okay, now I know people who will be very angry if I don't get home with all limbs attached so if you just drop the dark thing and go no one is in trouble."

With that, a dry hand grabbed her out thrust arm and dragged her forward.

Nabiki stumbled into a pole, which the other hand of the unknown person drove into her stomach. Groaning she brought her other arm up to the hand that grabbed her wrist. Then she placed that hand above what she assumes is the elbow of the attacker and pushed forward as hard as she could.

The attacker released her wrist and she stumbled backwards. Only then, the assailant with a hard hit of the pole just caught her above the right knee.

Dropping forward Nabiki felt the edge of Analis coat on the ground. Rolling to the side quickly she was missed by the pole as it was driven down by her waist. Scrambling up Nabiki moved backwards until she was forced to a stop by the shadow. 'Where the hell was Ranma when you need him?' After Nabiki felt the pole swipe past her face, stepped forward, and punched out at what she assumed was the attackers head.

Ranma stared at the strange crow headed man who was about to be punched by a bleeding Nabiki. An older woman with grey blondish looking hair lay just behind them. The small circle of blood surrounding her head pointed to the heavy cut on the side of her neck, which at a glance he could tell was not fatal but it had knocked her out.

Diving forward Ranma pulled Nabiki out of the way of the staff that was topped by rings of metal and a hairbreadth away from crushing her skull. Gentle Ranma placed her to the side. He spun around to face the crow-faced fighter. "What the hell are you?"

The crow headed man had green feathers, but also human ears, and dark brown hair tied back in a tight braid. Clawed hands clutched a long dark wooden staff banded in copper colored metal. It wore a tight white t-shirt and loose black pants.

A cackling noise broke the silence, after a moment Ranma realized it was the creature's laughter. Springing forward Ranma attempted to pull the storeowner out of the way of the creature's blows.

However, as he rushed forward, the staff of the crow-headed man slammed down across his shoulders, Ranma rolled over the body of the victim, catching her up in his arms, and landing on his knees with her in his arms.

Stumbling backwards, he rolled his shoulders as best as he could. "Why don't you go off and find a bird bath, big bird." Leaning the woman against her own stores door, Ranma quickly turned around and stood with his hands behind his back.

From within Ranma's mind a voice spoke. "Human, what are you to face me? Run off home and crawl under your blankets. Girl." While the voice sounded in his head, the beak of the crow man stayed shut.

Ranma remains standing where he was while they talked the creature wasn't attacking Nabiki and the storeowner. "Oh get over yourself. You look like you should be employed at Disney land." Ranma pulled his pigtail over his shoulder, the red hair shinning under the streetlight.

The crow man's beak clacked open and Ranma noticed a pair of small wings beating furiously on its back.

"Girl, you should be quiet about what you have no idea. Now go before I decide to separate your pretty head from the rest of your body."

Ranma laughed and dropped his braid. "Ha, everyone says that and why do you think you can beat me ya giant humming bird?"

The crow man drew his staff forward and brought it with a thud down in front of his feet. "I am a Karasu Tengu otherwise known as Kotengu. We are masters of our art. No one can defeat us! I am Akyju and no silly little human girl shall ever ridicule me." Stepping forward the Kotengu swept his staff across the spot Ranma had been standing in, missing Ranma by several meters as he was now above his head.

"Hey birdman, if I kick your ass, do you think you could show me your staff work?"

Swinging the staff in a tight circle Akyju brought it up to catch Ranma on his downwards journey missing the girl as she managed to skip off the spinning staff and land behind him.

"Why did you attack my friend, she may be a money hungry cold hearted weasel but I know some people who would be kind of hurt if anything happened to her."

From behind him, Nabiki grimaced. There are times when she wishes she had the ability to boot Ranma into LEO.

Bringing the staff forward in a thrust towards Ranma's chest, Ranma grabbed the end and slammed it towards the ground forcing the Kotengu to flip over using his momentum to land near the startled Nabiki.

The unbalanced Kotengu was forced further off balance when Nabiki shoved a boot forward into his back and making him stumble.

"You know for someone who said no silly girl was going to beat you you're doing a good impression." Standing again in a relaxed poise Ranma waited for the next move.

Pulling a pipe out from under the thick belt the Kotengu was wearing he drew it to his lips and dozens of fine silver darts sprang forward.

Ranma danced out of the way but the silver needles were too quick, one caught the front of his shirt ripping the material of the shirt, and lightly cutting her chest, showing to the world that this was not just a girl. Ranma growled as he stared down, every time he fought. Whatever bloody happened somehow she would end up with a ripped shirt, especially if he was in girl form. "You over grown chicken! I only just got that shirt! I had to work for the old ghoul to pay for it!" Bringing a hand up Ranma scratched his head.

"No more stalling." The Kotengu laughed that strange laugh again and brought the pipe to his beak again.

Rushing forward Ranma shoved a hand forward and forced the pipe back down the birds beaks making it choke.

The Kotengu grasped his staff as he brought it forward to stop the Martial Artist. However, Akyju was stopped when a blast of energy knocked him off his feet.

Coming out of the Moko Takabisha Ranma grinned as the crow man's feathers were now all over the place and little green pieces were floating everywhere. "I'm dreaming of a green Christmas, just like that ones I use to know."

The crow headed man was on his back clutching his throat coughing to get the pipe out of his throat. Luckily, his ability to talk did not depend on a voice box. The copper colored bound staff lay to the side blown some distance from the Kotengu.

"So you're the thing that's been attacking people?" Ranma grinned and looked over at Nabiki, "Hey, was that the easiest chocolate cake you ever made or what?"

Clutching her bleeding throat and aching stomach Nabiki grimaced and walked slowly towards Ranma.

Pulling the belt out of the Kotengu's pants, Ranma flipped the struggling birdman over onto his back and tied his arms and small beating wings into one tight bundle. "We have some questions for you." Ranma picked up the silver pipe, which had fallen from the throat of the Kotengu. 'I wonder if I could find a use for that.'

Nabiki reached Ranma who was rifling through the Kotengu's clothes. With a flip of her hand, she caught Ranma behind the back of the head.

"Hey what was that for?"

"Cold hearted weasel am I?"

Ranma grinned nervously and stood handing what he had found on the Kotengu over to her. "Look I'll grab Analis keys and get us into her shop. Then we can clean up some and question this overgrown turkey."

Walking over to Analis, who was now gaining consciousness but was extremely groggy. Nabiki found the keys in her coat pocket and let them in.

Ranma carefully carried the hurt storeowner while dragging the Kotengu behind him. Making sure, he hit Akyju's head repeatedly on their way to the back room.

Nabiki quickly found the first aid kit above the small sink in the back room, peering into the little mirror to clean her cut, whilst handing Ranma the necessary tools to fix up Analis.

"Look, there is more to this then just some random nut killing people. Too many things aren't adding up. It doesn't look like your 'normal' supernatural serial killer." Sliding a damp cotton ball full of antiseptics over her cut Nabiki winced.

Ranma had started cleaning the cut on Analis and at the same time tried to reassure the groggy shopkeeper, that he wasn't robbing her store. Ranma had knocked out the Kotengu with a quick hit to the back of the head, it now lay trussed up on the ground. Ranma who by now could control to the second how long someone was unconscious from his hits estimated that it would wake in ten.

Analis had crashed again as soon as the cut had been cleaned and declared non-harmful by the over experienced Ranma.

Nabiki had pulled a couple of the tie-dyed throws she had in stock out the front over her, where she lay in the corner. As this happened the Kotengu woke up. Pulling him up into the chair Ranma had been sitting in. Nabiki picked up her notebook.

Ranma reached behind the Kotengu and slightly twisted a wing.

"Welcome Mr. Akyju. Now if you answer our questions I'm sure Ranma here does not have to show you how much she dislikes being lied to." Ranma put more pressure on the wing and with that, the Kotengu broke like a wet tissue.

"All right you disgusting human females. Who would have thought I would be degraded by a puny human."

Ranma stepped backwards that had been easy, as both of them heard the Kotengu in their heads. "Oh damn, I wanted to play bad cop." Ranma whined and hoped the Kotengu would do something so that they could shine alight in their eyes.

"Why are you talking?" The Kotengu laughed. "I am not being paid enough to be creative. If you want to know what is happening it is worth my life."

"Why did you attack us?"

"I was sent by a Konoha Tengu who is my employer, we have a long running contract, I was to permanently cripple the storeowner one Analis Harton. You," gesturing with his beak, "were not in the deal."

"Why did your boss want her dead?"

"I don't know, he doesn't want her dead, he was employed by someone else, and I say this now. I have no idea who."

"Did you have anything to do with the other attacks and deaths?" The Kotengu laughed. "No, why are there any other humans missing? Good riddance, you are like a plague at times. One or two less would not hurt." With this, the Kotengu vanished.

Ranma turned to face Nabiki. "You know we should probably read up more on Japanese mythical creatures. Did you know he could do that?"

Nabiki flipped her notebook closed. "No."

**Authors Note:**

Revised 27/06

So, sorry over the long wait between chapters I got caught up in another story I shouldn't be writing.

If anyone wants something to happen between Ranma and Nabiki, please tell.

**Thank you so much for reviewing:**

_Wonderbee31:_ Thank you who has reviewed for all my stories. Thank you and _Silverscale_ so much.

The next chapter will be up sooner than this one I hope, but then the best laid plans . . . .

**PLEASE REVIEW.** Each review means I get more motivated to write sooner.


	7. Never Meddle In the Affairs of Wizards

**Spirit Hunter**

_Chapter Seven_

Never Meddle in the Affairs of Wizards.

Revised 9th September 2006 by Hiryo

This Chapter has been pre-read by Hiryo. Thank you very much. Please check out his stories.

**Disclaimer:**

Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi; I am only using it for my own sick twisted enjoyment.

"Let's just say that if complete and utter chaos was lightning, he'd be the sort to stand on a hilltop in a thunderstorm wearing wet copper amour and shouting 'All gods are bastards.'"

-- (Terry Pratchett, The Color of Magic)

Enjoy!

Yellow light filtered down through the fluttering banners and metal girders of the closed amusement park. Security lights shone on the bright colored fronts of rides and sideshow stalls. Everything had shut down three hours ago and the only noise was that of a single security guard on his rounds shinning his torch into all the dark corners. The closed amusement park gave off a strange feeling, now that it was empty.

From a distant corner of the park, two young boys crept over the barbwire security fence. Chucking their backpacks over the fence, they pushed a blanket over the barbs, and climbed the fence. "Can you see anyone? The guard should be at the other end of the park."

His friend was looking through one of their backpacks looked up quickly then looked back to the bag. "Nup." His head popped back up with a ham sandwich stuffed in his mouth.

Grabbing the backpack out of the hands of the red head, the other boy scowled. "If we get caught Mark won't pay up. All we have to do is stay the night in the haunted house take a picture of us with our watch at one and five and then he'll show us the hole in the wall of his bathroom."

The red haired boy mumbled with his full mouth. "You said I could have five king sized snickers if I did this for you."

The brunette jerked the pack over his shoulder. "Yeah sure, just watch for the guard."

Creeping around the park, the two boys were running like in a bad spy movie, from shadow to shadow. The Haunted House was beside the open-air auditorium where the musical shows were held. When the two boys crept towards the black bulk of the haunted house, they started hearing noises. People were in the auditorium. Potted plants surrounded the entrance, and a paved path led out into the tiers of seats.

The brunette is called Lenny and he really wanted to get a chance to look in Marks bathroom, especially when Marks older sister took a bath in the room next to it.

Daniel the red head was along for the adventure because Lenny had bribed him with food, as Lenny was too afraid to go into the park by himself.

When the boys heard the voices, they stumbled to a stop like stunned rabbits.

Dan panicked and started to hyperventilate "It's the guard and he's going to catch us, and we're going to prison and . . . ."

Len stuck a hand over Dan's mouth. "Shhh, be quite. Who ever it is probably doesn't even know we're here. We can still get to the haunted house. Just Shut Up!" said Dan in a forced whisper as he drew his hand away from Daniel's mouth.

The other boy's eyes were wide and just nodded.

Creeping past the gateway the two boys scurried away from the voices. However, Daniel glanced sideways just for a second, and Lenny who was running to the Haunted House stopped in his tracks when he heard Daniel scream behind him.

Running back to his friend Len grabbed him and shoved a hand over his mouth. "Shut up they'll hear you." Lifting a shaking arm Daniel pointed down the seated incline through the gate to the stage of the auditorium. Len turned his eyes away from Dan's face and saw what made him scream.

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On a corner of the quiet street, not that far away from the amusement park, so you can see the tops of the roller coaster. Someone could be seen walking backwards and forwards. Dressed in long flowing robes the person wore a strange ice cream cone shaped hat on its head. He wore a robe that's covered in golden stars and silver moons. A long white beard fell down the front of the robe and a long wooden staff's topped by a large quartz crystal. Additionaly, a black stuffed black cat was pinned to his shoulder, to finish the outfit.

It was a strange sight even for Tokyo on a Friday night. A drunk, who had just left a local bar for this night, stumbled home, took one look, and swore that from now on he would drink at home.

The 'wizard' for lack of a better word, was walking backwards and forwards waving the staff around. Under his breath, the 'wizard' could be heard muttering. "Why do I have to be the one that always dresses up? No one sees Nabiki in half the outfits I get into."

From somewhere to his left he can hear some one hissing at him. "Sound Magical."

Sighing resignedly, Ranma dropped his head and waved the staff around. "Abracadabra, Wingardium Leviosa, Sasquatch." Out the side of his mouth, Ranma whispered. "Good enough?"

From the bushes, a hand appeared showing a thumb up.

The 'Grand Plan' as designed by Nabiki after they had recovered from the attack outside the magic store. Several serves of Ger's special chocolate brownies assisted that 'Grand Plan.'

Ranma that day in school was unaware that Nabiki had taken the day off to formulate her plan.

Being attacked by someone not out to kill or maim Ranma was a change for Nabiki and her fight the night before had made her angry. 'How dare 'they' attack Nabiki Tendo no one had the right to touch her. That bird-guy had ruined her jacket.' Fuelled with righteous woman fury and chocolate Nabiki spent the day in her room thinking over how she could catch the bastard that attacked her and find out who was behind it all. 'No one messed with me or my clothes and got away with it.'

Her thought process by the time Ranma got home from school was that 'A. Magical people and creatures were being attacked. B. Ranma has a magical curse. C. Lets dress Ranma up like a wizard and hope someone attacks him.' Nabiki was onto her second plate of brownies by the time she had finalized the plan and confirmed the costume hire.

When Ranma got home and avoided Akane, she explained the plan to him. He sounded exited and thought it was a good plan. That may have been the first clue that it wasn't that great of a plan. They had collected Ger after he closed his shop and they set up on the corner of a street were several attacks occurred.

Ranma had been excited about dressing up for the first few hours but it was nearly 2 o'clock and no attack. When Ranma had tried to hop around on his plastic staff like Cologne and failed, Nabiki who camped out in the bushes hung her head in defeat. While Ger lies besides Nabiki fast asleep. In the cold air of the night she though, 'My plan may not have been that well thought out after all.'

Standing up and dusting off her pants Nabiki stepped out of the bushes leaving Ger to snore away. "I think that's it for the night. We can try again tomorrow. If this thing attacks magic we'll give them magic."

Ranma was worried 'It's all right when Nabiki does this for cake and money but now she is angry when she's angry she's scary.' Ranma walked to the bushes and poked Ger with his Wizard's staff.

Ger rolled over and mumbled 'babble grumble flying cheese mumbo jumbo.' Tonight his t-shirt read, 'I Doubt Therefore, I Might Be.'

Ranma shook his head and poked him again.

Ger swiped a hand at the plastic staff and covered his head.

Ranma grinned and picked up a bottle of water, Nabiki had brought for the stakeout, and poured it over Ger's head.

Spluttering the Rokurokubi shot up and yelled when he saw Ranma standing over him. "Arrghh, Gandalf!" Clutching his backpack to his chest, he cried out. "No you can't have my precious."

Nabiki swatted Ranma over the back of the head, with her hand. "You idiot, be quiet. We don't want anyone calling the police."

Rubbing his head Ranma pulled Ger to his feet. "Well that was a waste of time I could have been at home watching T.V." Ranma grumbled as he rubbed his itchy face under the fake beard.

Ger agreed with him. "Why did I have to be here? I could have been sleeping in my own bed at home."

Nabiki swatted Ger around the back of the head, "Because you're our resident expert and we need someone who knows something about what we're doing." Picking up her backpack Nabiki started walking down the footpath away from the boys. "Come on we should head to the train station and head home. We can get some sleep tonight."

Ranma hiked up the bottom of the long glittery robe in his hands and followed her with Ger, which wiped his face behind him. Swinging the staff through the air Ranma flipped it backwards and forwards around his back and over his shoulders.

Their stakeout had failed for tonight but there was tomorrow and Nabiki was going to call the numbers they had gotten off the Magic Store owner who at this moment recovers at a friend out of town.

Ranma smiled as he flung the staff around and thought, 'I've had worse nights.'

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Half way to the train station, they reached the front gate of an amusement park. Ranma stared at the padlock and the tall chainlike fence then grinned at Nabiki. On the other side of the amusement park, Ranma could see the train station. "Nabiki lets take a shortcut through the amusement park."

Nabiki looked up at the tall gates with giant clowns decorating it and frowned. "I don't know."

Ranma pouted and wined. "Please, I always wanted to see an Amusement Park at night. It'll be cool."

Nabiki sighed. 'It wasn't like something would happen when they go through and if anything went wrong Ranma could protect them. I just don't want to cave into Ranma's demand.'

"I suppose we could," she looked at her watch, "if we get to the station in twenty minutes we can catch the train before they take a break for an hour."

Ranma grinned, grabbed Nabiki and Ger by the back of their shirts, and jumped over the fence.

Ranma and Ger were almost like kids in a chocolate factory. Running from one ride to another ride, the two pretended to throw balls at each other and sat in the empty dodgem cars.

Nabiki watched the two boys run around and keep an eye out for the security guard. Watching Ger stand in front of a funhouse mirror, she laughed at his distorted features.

Laughing she didn't notice Ranma's head jerk up and turn to face the far side of the park. "Hey! Ger did you hear that?"

The Rokurokubi stopped laughing at his own image and turned to face Ranma. "What?"

In the still air of the park, a distant scream could be heard.

"That's not good." Nabiki shook her head at the look on Ranma's face. "Go."

Ranma raced to the source of the scream Ger followed slowly behind Ranma.

Rushing through the park Ranma reached the auditorium and saw two collapsed figures just outside the entrance. A man dressed in blue and a smaller figure. Running up to the people on the ground Ranma saw a man dressed in a blue uniform obviously the security guard. His torch lay in a pile of smashed plastic and wires around his head. Someone had bashed it over his head and blood oozed down his face.

Next to the guard, a little boy with bright red hair lay curled into a little ball. Only his shallow breath told Ranma that the boy was still alive. His face was a pale contrast to the bright color of his hair. It's an orange red different from Ranma's female hair.

The boy was unconscious and Ranma was unsure if he should leave him.

Ger puffed up behind Ranma out of breath. "Did you have to run so fast?"

Ranma looked at Ger. "Do you have a phone on you?"

Ger shook his head. In the excitement, he had forgotten to shorten his neck.

Nabiki who had quietly jogged after Ranma finally reached them and the unconscious figures. "Hey! What happened?" Nabiki exclaimed when she saw the security guard and the red haired boy.

"Do you have your phone on you?" Ranma demanded.

Nabiki pulled her mobile out of her pocket and hit the first automatic number on her phone.

Ranma heard her tell the emergency service about what they had found. As Ranma felt the boy's throat for his pulse, he began to stir.

The boy began to pant, his hands reached up to his face, and with them, he began to claw at his eyes.

Ranma gently grasped the kid's hands. "Hey, wake up. What happened?"

Cautiously the kid opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Ger's elongated neck peering at him over Ranma's shoulder. Daniel screamed and tried to push his shoulder blades through the pavement. "Aarrgghh," he screamed and dug his fingers into Ranma's hand trying to get away.

"What is it?"

The boy screamed again. "Monster, Monster!"

Ranma looked over his shoulder and saw Ger. Who in return pulled his head in. "It's Okay? Ger's a good monster."

"Hey!"

The boy looked questioningly up at Ranma who was smiling. "Look I'll beat him up if you want."

"Hey!"

The little boy stopped trying to escape and whispered. "Lenny, they took Lenny."

Ranma saw Nabiki talking on her mobile. "What took Lenny?"

"The monster."

"Let's be sure of this before I rush off. Lenny isn't your pet, or a friends pet."

Daniel shook his head at the strange man that looked like Dumbledore. Harry Potter always trusted Dumbledore. "No Lenny's my friend. We were going to sneak into the Haunted House. Oh no now we've lost to Mark."

Nabiki had knelt next to the security guard and was following the instructions she was receiving over the phone. She looked up at Ranma and Ger. "An ambulance is going to be here in five minutes. Ranma if you want to go now would be the time."

Looking down at Daniel Ranma smiled. "What happened?"

"There were monsters and they took Lenny."

"Where did they take Lenny?"

The little boy started to cry quietly. "I don't know. I fell asleep."

Ranma grimaced. "Okay what did they look like?"

"They looked like big birds, but nasty."

"Where were they?"

"They were on the stage."

Ranma can see through the auditorium's open gate a stage at the bottom of the stacked seats. Ranma stuffed his magical stuffed cat under Daniel's head. "Look I'm just going to have a look at the stage. Ger, the nice monster is going to look after you."

Ger gave a little wave and pulled a hand back through his hair. "Hi, I'm a good monster, like the Cookie Monster."

When the boy smiled at this Ranma jumped down to the stage and found a pile of smoldering ashes still red from a fire that had been lit on the stage. There was nothing else left on the stage except a crumpled plastic bag. Picking it up Ranma turned it upside down. A little black packet fell out of the bag. It was a pack of cardboard rip out matches. On the outside in art deco style silver script were the words 'Neo 5.'

**Authors Note:**

No, I haven't stopped writing this story. I was just stuck for an idea for this one, but overwhelmed with ideas for my other stories. I will keep writing this but slowly.

Please Review. The more reviews the sooner I update. Moreover, the sooner you find out what is at Neo 5 and who is really behind the attacks and why.

**Thanks for Reviewing:**

_Wonderbee31:_ Nabiki is a good match for Ranma she can control some of his more stupid impulses. However, I am not sure how much of a romance this story will end up.

_Imortis:_ Thank you, I am trying to make this as original as possible, while sticking to Canon.

_Innortal:_ First off, I really like your stories. Nabiki is really sneaky and avoided her Dad from finding out about the attack, so Ranma avoided the Demon head attack. I just had a mental image of little helium balloons being sold at Nerima fairs in the shape of his Demon heads. Nodoka as a demon hunter hmm, that gives me an idea, and I have Nos running around. Hmm

PLEASE REVIEW, I PROMISE I'LL UPDATE QUICKER IF YOU DO.

14/10/06 Authors Note

I Lied . . .


	8. I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor

**Spirit Hunter**

_Chapter Eight_

I Bet You Look Good On the Dance Floor

Revised 9th September 2006 by Hiryo

Pre-read by Hiryo. Thanks a lot.

**Author Note:**

All previous chapters as of now are reversed.

**Disclaimer:**

Not mine.

Enjoy!

Heavy throbbing music made the glasses sitting on people's tables shudder and the expensive multicolored liquor within dance in the lights sending a small alcoholic rainbow over the table. The house band was, with mild success, trying to perform a cover of an old Gun's 'n' Roses number and with little success was getting people up and dancing. Later on, a DJ would break out his vinyl and trip the light fantastic.

It was one of those places that only the beautiful people seemed to populate, there was probably a trap door underneath the doormat and when ever a person who wasn't cool enough entered they would plummet to their dooms so the beautiful people wouldn't have to worry themselves with common folk. This was all right, because common folk wouldn't really want to talk to them any way.

At the back of the club behind the bar and past the band, there is a door that said Employee's only. It is the inconspicuous doorway to a hidden world. If you're 'lucky' enough to know the push code that opened this door, you would find yourself facing another door. With another sign, this time in a strange language that made the world twist around its eldritch symbols. If you could read this foul writing, you would read, 'Employees Only WE REALLY MEAN IT.'

If you survived this entrance, you would find an impressive cave like room. Chandeliers dripped from the ceiling issuing a dim glow on the crowded tables below.

You could be fooled into thinking this was just a special V.I.P section of Neo 5, that if back there is for the beautiful people though here it's for the exquisite creatures who, if the common folk even glanced at them our brains would instantly melt out our ears.

Not quite, if you got through both doors and didn't swallow your own tongue in wonder you would see a great many creatures that could have stepped straight out of myth, and which you would wish had stayed there. This was Neo 5's real purpose.

All the rich, wealthy, aristocratic demons, devils, monsters, ghosts, Oni, and other bogey people went to Neo 5 to be seen. Here they could engage in decadence that would have made Caligula blush. Before tomorrow was over, they were going to wish they had never been spawned.

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On Mike's list for tonight was; 1. Get really drunk. 2. Forget about his slut of an ex-girlfriend Jenny. Who and all his friends agreed didn't deserve him. 3. Hope the bitch got the clap from one of her boyfriends. 4. Find a girl who would be patient, kind, sweet nature, and had big tits.

As soon as work had finished, he and his mates had started drinking first in the bar on the first floor of their building, then they had proceeded around town. It is four in the morning, and at whatever nightclub they had managed to get into, the night was still buzzing. He could remember starting the night on beer, then there was that club with the pool and he was shooting something.

He remembered the tequila that had something to do with a duck and when he woke up in the morning, he was going to find the tattoo.

He had now reached the oblivious floating stage of drunkenness; he was happily separated from the world by at least three feet of cotton wool.

"Mickey, you need to grow up man. There are a lot more cats in the backyard if you know what I mean."

Sam, Mike's friend who had a drunk girl in his lap they had picked up two clubs back, tried to comfort his friend, and was ignored because just at that second the girl of Mike's dreams had walked through the door, and boy were her tit's big.

Mike wasn't a bad guy, he was just going to make, one hell of a bad decision tonight.

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Her g-string were riding up her crack. 'I don't know how girls did it. If I had to wear this sort of underwear all the time, I wouldn't be able to stop scratching.'

Through the magic that is Nabiki, she had convinced him that, storming 'Neo 5' with torch and pitchfork all because of a matchbox was not a good idea. She had then convinced Ger that he was no use to them when he had fallen asleep again, while Nabiki had somehow arranged for her and Ranma to gather clothes and someone needed to take the kid home.

Then surprisingly the easiest task was, convincing Ranma that he was going to have to go in as a girl, until Ranma saw the clothes. Ranma would do many things in the line of duty but he had to draw the line somewhere and a G-string was the last straw.

The use of substantial amounts of guilt made him agree with Nabiki that wearing a G-string wasn't so bad if they were going to save some poor boy from a fate worse then death. He didn't know why he tried arguing with her anymore she always won.

They had arrived at 'Neo 5' to find a line halfway around the block and two beefy security guys, and through the magic that is Nabiki and Ranma's girl's form they had slipped past the line and through the door with barely a glance at the beautiful people still in line.

"We should have a look around."

Ranma turned to stare at Nabiki who was shouting in his ear. "What?"

"We should split up and have a look around."

"Huh, I can't hear you but I think we should go see what's here."

Nabiki just stared at the red head and sighed. "Yeah sure." Nabiki turned and made her way over to the dance floor.

Ranma already facing the bar began to make her way through the crowd. Before she had a chance to open her mouth and order a glass of water, half a dozen glasses had settled in front of her from men around the bar. Looking around Ranma smiled then gripping the pole running along the bar and with a delicate female hand broke it.

Those men that saw this immediately took their drinks back. This was another reason why Ranma preferred not going out like this when he was female. "Stupid men, blind as Mousse." She muttered under breath as she got her drink and began to survey the club. Sipping her drink, she tried to follow the flow of the club patrons with her eyes.

Steady streams of people were entering the club and another smaller stream was leaving. People were draped elegantly over tables and chairs, there to be seen and to see, the other beautiful people.

The dance floor was moving as one and Ranma could just see Nabiki's head bouncing in a purposeful manner through the dancing crowd towards the DJ.

There were several bouncers standing around the club, one next to the bar, two under the stage, one next to the wall along the back, and two standing on wither side of a door labeled 'Manager.'

Heavy panting next to her right ear made Ranma turn to face a sweaty Don Juan.

"Did it hurt?"

"What?"

"When you feel from heaven."

Gently reaching out Ranma grasped the man's hand, which he had placed on her bare shoulder and squeezed. "Do you have a phone?"

"Why?"

"So you can ring an ambulance." With a small popping noise, Ranma pushed all the man's fingers out of joint.

"Be a good boy and run away."

Gasping in pain the drunk man stared at Ranma who was still sipping her drink and hobbled away to call a doctor.

Turning around she perched on the bar rail and caught the bar tenders eye.

To the rest of the club a shapely red head had just entered it looked like she had been poured into the skin tight Chinese style green silk dress, and she was by herself. The figure of interest for several people around the club, especially a lone man hunched over a glass tumbler at the end of the bar. A bar tender who had been serving someone smiled and went to serve Ranma. "Hi, ready for a real drink?" She gestured at Ranma's glass of water and reached up for a tumbler.

"Sure, why not. What've ya got?"

The bar tender smiled and waved the hand not holding a glass and laughed.

"What haven't we got? It depends on what you like. Whisky, rum, sake, schnapps, vodka, wine, or maybe some champagne. What do you feel like?" The list of drinks meant nothing to Ranma and he made a wild stab.

"Whisky?" Still smiling the bar tender pointed to the bottles along the wall.

"One shot, two shots, single or double malt, Johnny Walker, Glenfiddich, Ballantynes, Black Douglas, on the rocks, wet or dry?" Bewildered silence was all that she got in reply. "Why don't I just make one up for you?"

"Oh, okay that would be great." And soon Ranma was graced with a glass of amber Ballanynes, single shot dry. She stared at the shallow amount in the glass. "Where's the rest?"

"If you haven't had whisky before I wouldn't recommend gulping."

When Ranma went to pay, the girl serving laughed and pointed to a grinning blonde girl further down the bar. "Don't worry she's already paid for it."

Dragging her eyes away from the hot blonde that was hitting on her Ranma blushed and grasped her glass to sip. The bartender waited to see her response.

"Emm nice, How long have you been working here?"

Glancing up and down the bar to see if any one wanted her attention, she turned to answer Ranma. "Three years give or take a month. The tips are good and I like the nocturnal hours."

The liquor in her glass made the metal sheet that made counter for the bar glow and Ranma watched as he tilted the glass. "So you'd know a lot about what happens here?"

Resting her feet for a moment the bar tender watched Ranma. "Oh sure, if your looking to pick up I'm sure I can point you in the right direction."

Before Ranma could correct the misunderstanding, she felt a warm hand settle in the small of her back, and a warm breath ghost past her ear. Tipping her head to the side Ranma watched as the young man licked his middle finger and lightly dragged it along her dress where it sat on her collarbone.

"How about you and I get back to my place and I can help you out of those wet clothes."

Grinning Ranma's latest beau watched the beautiful red head smile at him and lean close. Dragging a nail along the center of his dress shirt, she brought her hand down lower and lower. Circling his belt buckle, she placed her face in close to his and whispered. "If you don't get you slimy hands off me this second you will wish I had never been born."

Still grinning, the man was over come by Ranma's looks and ignored the threat.

"Oh you know you want to."

Smiling back at the man Ranma nodded. "Yeah you're right I do." With a twist of her hand, Ranma tightened her grasp around his belt and lifted him into the air by a foot. Still sitting at the bar, she twisted her hand and the unlucky man squealed. "On the count of three I will let go. If I'm still holding on to something when that happens, it's going to be your fault. One . . . ."

The man curled forward and started begging. "Sorry . . Sorry . . Sorry."

"Two . . . ."

The bartender who was still watching stared in surprise.

"Three . . . ." With little effort Ranma tossed the man back out into the club, where he disappeared into the crowd. Turning back around she saw the look on the bar tenders face.

"He was too small so I had to throw him back."

Shifting further back behind the bar, the women looked at the opposite end of the counter and sighed. "Sorry, it's been nice talking but . . . ." And with that, she was almost running back down the bar.

'It's lucky the drinks are good or this place would really suck.' Sipping her drink Ranma wondered how she was going to find information about the lost kid now, when a large hand found itself resting on her shoulder.

"Mr. Cassius would like to give his greetings and would like to extend an invitation to a private drink with him."

Reaching out with her right hand Ranma grabbed the offending paw. "I'm sorry but, I don't drink."

Seemingly unaffected by Ranma's bone crushing grasp the tall gentleman, replied, "Mr. Cassius is the Manager of Neo 5, and would like to offer such a beautiful women as your self a special VIP courtesy of the club."

It only took Ranma a few moments to see the opportunity that this offered her. Smiling Ranma faced the messenger full on.

Standing at least 6ft 3in he towered over her short female form, he wore a well cut black suit, the gray shirt underneath it was buttoned up to his throat and a navy blue silk tie circled his neck.

"Well, what are we doing waiting here. I will be glad to meet Mr. Cassius."

The messenger said nothing as he turned back from where he came. With one hand on Ranma's silk clad shoulder, he steered her through the throng of the club and back to a door set in the opposite wall to the bar. Opening the mysterious door with one hand the man gently pushed the beautiful red head through.

A short flight of stairs led to another door, this one was decorated by a small metal plate. 'Cassius – Manager.'

The tall man tapped on the door with his knuckles and entered with out any sound from inside.

The room Ranma entered almost made her gag. Keeping a smile on her face was almost harder than anything else she had done that night. An overwhelming miasma of anger, hate, and pain stained the room.

In front of the giant window, where she could see the club below, stood a short man around whom the emotions circled.

Two other girls were in the room with them; though beautiful, they paled next to Ranma's vibrant warmth. One girl, a curly haired brunette was leaning against the club manager's right arm kissing the side of his neck, while he talked on his phone. The other a shorthaired blonde was lying back on the long red leather couch, which ran along the far wall of the office.

When the door opened Cassius turned to face the door and saw his messenger and the stunning red head that he had seen through the large glass window behind the velvet curtain sitting by herself at the bar.

Breaking away from the girls' kisses Cassius swept forward. His messenger took a step back and stood in the doorway waiting for Cassius to acknowledge him and allow him to leave. "Has any one told you lately that you remind them of a goddess placed on this lowly earth to make we poor mortal's dream of heaven."

Before Ranma could say, 'well, actually yesterday at school . . . .' Cassius grinned, placed a gentle hand around her waist, and drew her across the room.

"My name is Mr. Cassius, but you can call me Cassius. This fine establishment is the diamond in my eye. When I saw you sitting by yourself I just knew that as a gentleman I couldn't leave such a fine damsel by herself."

The feel of his hand around her waist made Ranma want to scrub her skin in caustic soda.

Tonight Cassius was wearing a velvet red suit. Its collar was wide and edged in black ribbon, it bordered a green silk shirt with a red scarf tucked into the shirt and made Ranma think of an evil Christmas decoration.

From this close Ranma could smell the heavy musk that Cassius must have bathed in and she could just glimpse a golden chain in the V-neck of his shirt. "Do you really own such an important club?" Ranma had, had a lot of practice acting stupid, well stupider.

"Oh, no my dear, I merely manage it. Nevertheless, I like to think that it is through my hard work in daring intellect that has made it the most popular club in Tokyo. My, what a charming girl you are, and what would your name be?"

Forcing giggles up her throat Ranma stopped at the couch Cassius had led them too. "Ranko, Ranko Tendo."

Sitting down Cassius petted the couch next to him and Ranma joined him. "Emm what an appropriate name. What do you think of my club, Ranko Tendo?"

Opening her eye's wide Ranma gave him an innocent look. "It's so impressive, so big, it must be hard for you run. I could never manage something like this."

Laughing Cassius settled an arm around Ranma's shoulders. "Well of course you couldn't there are much more important things for a girl like you to be worried about." A faint grinding sound could be heard. "What's that?"

Ranma stopped grinding her teeth and smiled. "Oh I'm sure I have no idea. How long have you been the manager?"

Bringing his arm around Cassius draped his hand across the front of Ranma's dress. "I built this place from the ground up, without me it would still be some nameless hole in the ground. What brought you, Ranko Tendo to my busy door?"

Shifting slightly so that Cassius's hand wasn't sitting so close to her chest Ranma kept smiling. "My friend told me about how great this place was and how I would love it. And she was right this is the best place I have ever seen. And I've met some nice people." To keep up the bubble headed act Ranma curled a strand of hair around a finger and laughed.

Grinning Cassius brought his other hand up to cup Ranma's face and leaned in closer to Ranma. "I'm sure you'd love a more in-depth tour of Neo 5?"

Ranma tried not to make a face at the smell that clung to Cassius skin. He was saying exactly what she wanted. "Why, I would love a private tour of your club, Mr. Cassius." The urge to gag was growing. Swallowing hard Ranma kept on smiling. "I would love see what happens behind the curtains."

Glancing at his messenger who was still standing in the doorway, Cassius nodded and the tall man left closing the door behind himself. Taking his hand from her face Cassius placed it on Ranma's knee leaning in close to the Martial Artist. "I'm sure I could be persuaded."

Pulling back out of his grasp Ranma sighed and pulled the hem of her skirt down, nearly reaching her knee. "I don't know Mr. Cassius, you move so fast."

Sliding along the couch Cassius was thigh to thigh to Ranma. "I'm sure I don't have to convince you that it's worth it."

Ducking her head Ranma could feel Cassius arm tightens around her neck. "What makes this club so special?"

Cassius was still willing to talk and brought Ranma around to his bed, but his patience was drawing thin. He had never had much time for anything but himself. "I am going to tell you a secret Ranko, my club's secret is its patron."

Ranma smiled. "What does a patron mean?"

Cassius put his hand back on Ranma's knee and began to drag it up slowly. "A patron is gentle man with a great deal more money than brains. The patron of this fine establishment has connections all around the world and through his generous donations has helped create this club. Why soon he is going to have an ever greater influence of a great deal many more events."

Ranma stopped herself from breaking Cassius fingers when his hand reached her lap. "Does your patron have a name?"

Cassius ran a hand along her neck. "Oh that is not important. We have much more interesting things to talk about." Finally leaning in close Cassius moved to kiss Ranma on the mouth and missed when she ducked forward.

"Oh Dear Mr. Cassius."

Tightening the arm around her neck Cassius stopped Ranma's movement. "There are so many things I can offer you Princess."

"I think it's almost magic the way, your club is so popular."

"There's nothing magic about this club, it's all hard work that made me what I am today."

"Oh. I am sure that some magic was involved to make such a magnificent club." The brunette who along with the other girl had been ignored by Cassius and Ranma since Ranma entered the room spoke up. Her voice was vague and dreamy. "Mr. Cassius knows lots about magic. Show her your trick Cassie."

Lifting the hand from Ranma's lap Cassius drew a hand back through his hair and scowled. "She doesn't want to see my trick Teri."

The blond who had been sleeping further along the couch spoke up. "I'm sure she'd love it Cassie, every one else does."

Cassius frowned at the grinning blonde, who had no idea what he was going to do to her for ruining his move. "It's just a stupid party trick she doesn't want to see it girls."

Ranma moved away from him while his attention was diverted. "I'm sure I'd love it. I really like magic tricks."

"I don't know."

"Please Mr. Cassius I would be ever so grateful."

"You would, how grateful."

"Oh very."

"Fine, I will show you my great magic trick, but it is just a trick there is no magic involved." Picking up Ranma's hands, he wrapped them around his necktie catching something else up in her fingers. "Now I want you pull gently on my tie. See how it is around my neck there is no break."

Ranma who was about ready to strangle the man agreed. "Now, one, two three," The tie and what ever else she had grasped came away in Ranma's hands seeming to pass straight through Cassius neck.

Ranma stared the scarf had passed through Cassius neck; she knew tricks when she saw them. Okay maybe she didn't always see tricks when she saw them but she knew that this wasn't a trick. Before Cassius noticed, she tangled the tie around her hand, along with the other item that came away when Cassius did his little trick, just so that only the tie could be seen around her hand.

"Wow that's amazing . . . . Do you mind if I go tell my friend that I'm going to be occupied before I show you how grateful I am?"

Cassius who now felt assured that he was going to get some this morning smiled and agreed.

Standing up Ranma kept the tie in her hand and headed to the door. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled and blew the club manager a kiss. Even being just three meters away from the man lessened the miasma of filth that clung to him.

The door downstairs opened before she had a chance to touch the doorknob, the messenger was standing guard and opened it for her.

Quickly Ranma made her way across the club to the bar and the bartender she had been talking to before. "Hi, excuse me, have you seen my friend, young, short brown hair looks a bit like a ferret."

The bar tender smiled distractedly from the customer she had been serving and shook her head. "No sorry, I haven't seen any one like that."

Grunting in dissatisfaction Ranma leaned against the bar and peered out over the people. "She's probably scheming money off of some other poor Joe."

The man the bartender had been serving turned to face Ranma. "Remember me?"

Ranma stared. "Oh I no, don't tell me it'll come to me."

The man who was gazing in wonder at Ranma's memory. "You tied me up and shoved me in a closet."

"Gee, well that doesn't really narrow it down. Could you describe what was in the closet?"

"I tried to kill you!"

"Now if you'd said the opposite maybe I could narrow it down."

"I'm Nos."

"No, it's not ringing any bells. Look are you sure it was me?"

"How many other gender changing Martial Artists are there in Tokyo?"

"I don't know, how many?"

"Two nights ago I stole you from your bed; I tied you up and questioned you about your 'friend.'"

"Then what happened?"

"You knocked me unconscious with some foul beam and the next thing I knew I was tied up in a laundry cupboard and being offered tea. That reminds me, could you please thank that darling girl the next time you she her she was a life saver."

From annoyance to polite request, Ranma was still at a lost to identify this man. "You know I am sure it's on the tip of my tongue, if you just give me a second."

"I'm the spirit hunting guy . . . I kidnapped you for f000ing sake."

"Wait I know you're the one Nabiki skinned. Nog."

"No, Nos."

"Oh right yeah that's it. Funny meeting you here."

"Ha, this is one of the biggest gatherings of supernatural nasties this side of Inverness."

"Really, wow."

"That's why you're here isn't it, to find them and kill them. You've got balls kid. Not even I would attack them here."

"What did Nabiki tell you about me?"

"Oh, it's all right she told me all about the curse and how even though you act like an idiot it's just part of your careful facade. I've got to admit when I first met you, you had me fooled."

"Nabiki talks a lot. What curse did she tell you about?"

"Well she explained how you were a noble samurai who fought for truth and justice and one day cursed by an evil sorcerer you were made to don the shape of a girl and to confound this dreadful curse the sorcerer made you seem like an idiot. The curse will never be lifted till you break the curse by defeating the evil sorcerer in combat."

"Oh that curse, Nabiki told you about that curse. I'd like you to not tell others about that curse, it's embarrassing."

Nos. smiled conspiratorially at Ranma. "Sure, sure, but it mustn't be that hard turning into a girl when you get a figure like that."

"Do you want to keep all your fingers?" Glancing at Nos Ranma saw over his shoulder the bouncer who had approached him earlier walking over. "So, have you seen the girl?"

"Nope, not a glimpse."

With a heavy sigh Ranma ignored him and faced Nos, "What did you mean by supernatural nastiness, bigger than Inverness?"

Nos pointed at two bouncers. "You mean you don't know; behind that door is Neo 5 VIP room where all the bad guys come out to play. Very exclusive, very magical, and I have been watching it for the past six hours."

When Ranma felt a hand settle on the hand she had on the bar she shook her head. "How many fingers do I have to break tonight before someone gets the idea?" When she saw who was gripping her hand she laughed.

Mike had decided to make his move. Sweating and trembling Mike launched into the line Sam had told him was a dead certain girl puller. "Your legs must be tired, 'cause they've been running through my mind all night."

Ranma turned her hand palm up and held Mike's hand. "I am not going to say this a second time, GET LOST." As she watched the disappointment appear on his face, she felt a crowd gathering behind her.

"You are one cold hard bit00." Swiveling around she saw a group of men including the two that she had politely refused earlier standing in a half circle around her.

They were recognizable because one man had his hand in a split and another was standing as if he'd just messed himself. Standing beside them were a dozen odd guys and a few girls who must have been their friends.

"You broke my fingers you bit00."

Just then the clubs bouncer who had been going to make sure she was on time for Mr. Cassius reached the gathered crowd.

Nos was still sitting at the bar and quite enjoying the show.

"You bloody cock00000." Staring in mild shock Ranma watched as the crowd stared hissing at her.

The bouncer stepped between the two groups and held up a hand. "Ladies, Gentleman, could we please not revert to such actions here?"

His height and build was enough to stop several of the jilted men's friends to stop there movement towards Ranma.

When Mike seeing an opportunity stepped forward. "Yeah, you leave my girlfriend alone!" Looking over his shoulder, he grinned at Ranma. "Don't worry I'll protect you."

Leaning against the bar, Ranma just sighed. "So, she's your girlfriend. How did a fox like that end up with a boot faced mongrel like you?"

Mike who had testosterone for brains right at that moment shouted and charged at the man who had insulted him.

Before the bouncer could stop them two of the men in the crowd grabbed Mike's arms and slammed him to the ground. The bouncer caught one up in a giant fist but could not stop the other from stomping on Mike's chest with a boot.

Mike's friend Sam saw this and rushed to save his friend. Pulling his fist back, he clocked the guy stomping on his friends' chest hard on the chin. And the fight began, the friends of Ranma's jilted pick up artists rushed forward jumped on Sam who the bouncer dropped the guy he was holding and waded into the free for all.

Still standing at the bar Ranma watched the fight, and thanked the fates for not being in the center of that again, when someone made their way through the mob and reached her.

"This is all your fault."

Grabbing for her hair they took a swing and missed when Ranma leant to the side still smiling. "Too slow."

"Bit00!"

Fists flying Ranma easily dodged the sloppy punches.

As the brawl grew, when people who had nothing to do with it started getting involved Nos motioned the trembling bar tender over with a finger. Ducking broken glass, she crept up to Nos, who was ignoring the fight behind him. "Vodka two fingers." When a full bottle landed on his head shattering drenching him in red wine, his gray coat dripped with wine. "I've changed my mind, don't worry about the glass." Gripping the bottle in one hand he turned around and joined the fight grinning.

sxsxsxsxsxsxsxsxsxsxsxsxsxsxsxsxsx

When Nabiki left the toilets, it was to find the club caught up in a massive brawl fists and glass flying everywhere. Moreover, in the center was a bouncing red head, shouting out critiques of her opponents.

"Look, your wrist is all wrong. You'll hurt yourself punching like that." Ducking a flying chair, she laughed. "Practice."

Nabiki carefully made her way around the wall of the club and inched her way to the exit, ducking flying hands, feet, and the occasional head. Along the way, she found Nos beating two guy's head's together in time with the music.

"Who's going to pay my laundry bill?"

When she reached the way out Nabiki put two fingers in her mouth and whistled.

Ranma who was perched on one of the vertical tables stuck too the wall was making fun of a girl who was trying to climb up after her, turned to face Nabiki and grinned. Leaping across the room, Ranma bounced from head to head until she finally reached Nabiki and the exit. "Do we have to go? I'm having fun."

Nabiki ducked as what looked like someone's hairpiece hit the wall next to her glared at Ranma. "I couldn't get anything out of the DJ, or any of the bouncers, the matches were a dead end."

For once Ranma knew more than Nabiki. "I know something you don't know."

At that moment, a dozen heavily muscled men poured in through the back and front doors, the cavalry had arrived.

Watching as the bouncers crushed the drunken socialites fight, like oil on ants, Ranma sighed. "Let's get out of here; it looks like the fun is over."

They snuck through the open door along with a flood of other people and caught their breaths outside for a moment. Only to watch Nos fly face first out the door. Picking himself up and dusting himself off Nos snorted and wandered over to the two girls. "So you survived.Why am I not surprised? Now that was a piss poor bar fight if ever I saw one."

People kept spilling out of the door and they watched the bruised and bloody crowd leave. Until Ranma recognized a face, it was the bouncer from before. "Nabiki I think we should be leaving."

Before Ranma could hustle Nabiki away, the man reached them. "Miss, Mr. Cassius is waiting."

**Authors Note:**

Hopefully, now that Hiryo and I have revised the other chapters of this story, where we found lots of plot mistakes, spelling and grammar errors, and just plain, 'What the Hell was I writing about' moments it is easier to read.

Useless Information: This is the longest chapter I have written for this story.

I am also now dabbling my toes in Live Journal, look up the name Phorcys and you will find me.


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